Police Unity Tour raises £200,000 for COPS

6 August 2024

The Police Unity Tour raised more than £200,000 for Care of Police Survivors (COPS) charity this year.

Care of Police Survivors supports the families of police officers and staff who have lost their lives on duty.

The Police Unity Tour – hundreds of cyclists who had ridden from across the country to the Arboretum in memory of fallen officers – arrived at the COPS Service of Remembrance on Sunday July 28.  

Detective Constable Joanne Hill, of Norfolk Constabulary, sadly lost her husband Nicholas in 2002 when their son was just nine weeks old. Joanne received support from Care of Police Survivors.

She took part in the tour and described the event as “so important".

Joanne said it was “brilliant” to get back on her bike this year.

“We do it every year and I do just love it. Some of the hills on the second day were very challenging though, but I’m not feeling too bad now,” she said.

“I really enjoyed it, it means such a lot to me because I’ve got a personal connection to the whole event.”

Joanne added: “The support COPS gives to those families is absolutely phenomenal in terms of events - peer on peer events - and the friendships that you make through that,” she explained

“Also, spending time with people that actually understand.

n say to you ‘Oh you know, I understand’, but sadly unless you’ve experienced it, it’s very hard to get that real, true [understanding].

“I’ve made friends for life through COPS and it really has helped me rebuild my life from where it was in 2002 to where we are now.”