In the first session of PFEW Annual Conference 2022, British athlete turned motivational speaker Kriss Akabusi delivered an insightful session that touched on change and perspective, whilst praising and acknowledging the unrecognised good work that the police do daily.

Starting his speech by opening up about his childhood and how his experiences have helped to shape his own life choices and outlook, Kriss noted that “life is all about how we see things, 700 people in a room can all be looking at the same thing, but with a different perspective.”

Leading an activity in change with delegates to reinforce his message that ‘Opportunityisnowhere’, Kriss identified that while change is not easy to go through and will undoubtedly make people feel uncomfortable, it is essential in enabling people to see things differently. 

In a tribute to police officers up and down the country, Kriss said: “When I open the newspapers, I read about the one or two people who do things wrong. I wonder how many times people acknowledge when you do things right. It must be tough for you all.”

“It must be tough to be in any officer’s position every day and only be mentioned when it goes wrong.”

Kriss also emphasised that policing is the glue that holds communities together and, much like in sport, it is teamwork that will allow police to continue to go from strength to strength.

“The people in this room make material differences to people’s lives every day. Policing is about getting people across the line. Every day, you get people across those lines. You are the very best at what you do. I honour you.”

In his final words, Kriss explained the ‘Trust Equation’ to delegates, highlighting that trust is at the base of everything, especially policing.

Ending his thought-provoking session, Kriss said: “The past is for reference, not residence. No one will care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”