City officer spends 24 hours in custody in the name of charity

4 August 2021

Working in offender management for The City of London Police, PC Jon Needham is no stranger to Bishopsgate custody suite.

But he experienced a whole new side of it – for charity it must be said – when he spent 24 hours in custody.

Jon was locked up for a full day/night in the cells at the end of July to raise funds for a charity close to his heart: The Survivors Trust https://www.thesurvivorstrust.org/find-support. The charity provides specialist support for women, men and children who have survived rape, sexual violence, or childhood sexual abuse.

Jon, an ambassador for The Survivors Trust and a survivor himself, wants to shine a spotlight on the support the charity provides. He is also working behind the scenes to help improve services for victims of sexual violence.

He has so far raised more than £3,000, to help the charity provide a range of specialist services to survivors, including counselling and helplines.

Jon, a police officer since 2009, said: “Who wouldn’t pay to see a cop locked up for a good cause?

“I was treated exactly as a prisoner. The same food, clothing, and bedding as anyone else would get in police custody. It was much more difficult than I anticipated.

“I took myself way out of my comfort zone to show solidarity with survivors, and to show that we fully support them in their journey.

“I want to express my thanks to all of my colleagues for their amazing support around what is a very sensitive issue.

“I am very proud to support survivors and victims and thank The Survivors Trust and the organisations that work with them for the great work they are doing on our behalf.”

To make a donation, visit PC Needham’s Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Copspending24hrsinpolcecustody where you can also learn more about his story and The Survivors Trust.