Force Family Fun Day a roaring success

3 June 2023

On Saturday 20 May, City of London Police put on a fabulous event at the Guildhall Yard in the heart of the City with more than 500 officers and their families joining the fun.

Over 50 volunteers from across the force were on hand for ‘show and tells’, demonstrating what they do and giving visitors, particularly the younger ones, the opportunity to try out their kit (or in the case of the horses and the dogs, say hello up close!)

These volunteers included:

City Dog Unit, and an Oscar Kilo Wellbeing dog all the way from South Yorkshire
Support Group
Tactical Firearms Group
Roads Policing Unit
Mounted Branch
Forensics
Communities/neighbourhood policing

DC Claire Jennings, took note of the efforts and said: “It was a brilliant day. Really well organised and my kids absolutely loved it! Thanks for the team’s hard work and putting it together.”

The feeling seemed to be unanimous, with PC Tom Hill stating that the family “very much” enjoyed the “well-organised” family fun day. “I asked the kids which bit they liked the most and they said ‘all of it’,” he said.

The event offered games, amusement, and refreshments, ensuring the perfect day out.

PS Rebecca Hill said: “Thank you so much for organising it. Our three kids absolutely loved it and wanted us to print out the photos we took to take into school today! Thanks for all your efforts in making it a great day.”

The event was supported by George Burrows (Group Insurance Provider), Met Friendly, and the City of London Police - Charity for Children hosted by T.Supt John Osibiote.

The attractions included Bollywood dancers courtesy of Star Dancers UK, who entertained the crowd with four performances and mini-interactive workshops for those who wanted to get really into the spirit of the day. Face painting and balloon creations were supplied by courtesy of Emily’s Entertainment.

Dancers

A dedicated section for lawn games let everyone enjoy fun with the family on the Reaction Wall, Beat the Buzzer, Splat the Rat, Giant Connect 4, Giant Jenga, and the all-time classic Giant Ker Plunk provided by JS Fun Event Hire.

Catering was provided by The Cook and The Butler and there was also a first-aid display and drill from the City of London Police Cadets.

Chair of City of London Police Federation, Mike Reed, reflected on the highlights of the day.

“Best thing about my job is being able to make a difference and ‘do’ for others. Today, we saw 500 cops, staff, and families come through the City of London Police Family Fun Day at Guildhall Yard.

“Our cops and staff deserve a safe environment to enjoy each other’s company and switch off from the negativity of policing, and from the smiles on their faces I hope we provided that today.

“Special thanks go to Don Randall of City of London Crime Prevention Association, James Thomson of the Police Authority Board, Commander Umer Khan OBE and the Chief Officer Team at City who generously sponsored the event.

“And big thanks to Jo Westhead for her organising skills and putting up with me."