Member vows to complete fundraising mission in aid of police charity

19 August 2024

A Hertfordshire Police Federation member passionate about supporting Police Care UK and new frontline officers has vowed to complete the fundraising mission she started.

Temporary Inspector Karen Hutchinson and her colleague Superintendent Frankie Westoby are both Force wellbeing officers, providing vital help and support for colleagues in addition to their everyday roles.

The pair recently decided to make another positive impact on police wellbeing – this time in their personal lives – by raising money for Police Care UK, a charity for current and serving officers and staff who have suffered physical or psychological harm as a result of policing.

As part of their fundraiser, Karen and Frankie took on a 24-hour, 100-kilometre Peak District Challenge in July, completing 52 kilometres of the hiking trial before being forced to retire.

Karen said: “We had both trained well for the challenge in terms of long-distance walking, but one thing we perhaps didn’t take into account was how much climbing would be involved – there were large parts of the first 50km that were particularly hilly and steep.

“Frankie and I both really enjoyed the challenge and the second half would have been slightly kinder in terms of terrain, but we called it a day purely due to exhaustion and some horrendous blisters.”

New challenges

This is a decision that the 42-year-old maintained she can own – and instead of feeling any shame over supposed failure, she and Frankie are now planning to honour the remaining miles of the challenge and then double this total over three more 50km walks.

“We’re both honest people, and if we say we’re going to do something, we’ll do it,” she continued.

Karen, who is herself trained in Police Care UK’s Trauma Impact Prevention Techniques (TIPT), outlined when and where these further walks will take place.

Determination to go above and beyond their original ambitions is fed by their desire for police officers to receive as much support with their mental health as possible, Karen explained.

“The incredible work Police Care do for all kinds of officers and staff is invaluable, because anyone working in the Police can be exposed to something traumatising or isolating. I see how lonely our jobs can be when I support people in some of the most difficult circumstances of their careers, as well as the build-up of pressures that they can face day in and day out.

“But in particular, I want to generate more understanding of the difficulties of officers who are new to the Force. They are entering a whole new world and policing is always throwing up new obstacles and demands to deal with,” she said.

“15 to 20 years down the line in the Force, you build up your support network. But for new recruits, the only people you may have to turn to are outside of the Force like friends or family and that has its obvious limitations.

“So, although things are improving, we still have work to do to drive out this ‘suffer in silence’ culture and Police Care want officers to know they are here for them.”

Psychological support

As a committed advocate of psychological support for police colleagues around her, experienced cop Karen revealed that her hiking exploits have even given her own mental health a boost.

Explaining that she and long-time friend Frankie are known for their 'relentless work ethics', she says walking has allowed her to practice a greater work-life balance.

“While we’re out walking, we can’t do the work. And as much as we’re committed to our jobs, we want to start setting a better example in terms of the balance.

“I’ve been in the Force for 18 years, and you can pick up some bad habits along the way. I’ve definitely noticed my mind become a bit calmer in the hours before and after work.”

Karen and Frankie have been able to strike up regular walk activity through their training plan, initially for the Peak District Challenge and now for their subsequent challenges, which sees them cover over five miles most midweek mornings and anywhere between 10 and 20 miles on certain weekends.

“We know we have to keep plugging away because we don’t want to lose the benefits we’ve established so far.

We will keep hiking and keep fighting for the wellbeing of police officers and staff – it is something so important to both of us,” she ended.

Federation members can support Karen and Frankie through their JustGiving page.