Christmas wishes from Nottinghamshire Police Federation

21 December 2023

Everyone here at Nottinghamshire Police Federation would like to wish all members, volunteers and police staff a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

As we look back on 2023, it’s fair to say the year has brought with it many challenges, from ongoing assaults on officers to mounting workloads and poor pay. Of course, it would be remiss of us to not mention the pay increase officers were awarded this year, however, at just seven per cent, we felt this increase didn’t truly reflect the hard work, commitment and dedication demonstrated by our members on a daily basis.

In August, we lost one of our own. Sergeant Graham Saville’s death was felt not only by friends who were lucky enough to have known and worked with him - but felt by colleagues across the nation. In the weeks that followed, we were extremely saddened by the deaths of PC Ashleigh Metcalf, PC Scott Redgate and Force Control Room Operator Andy Sidney, all of whom died unexpectedly and of natural causes.

There's no denying that the last few months have been very difficult for everyone within the Federation and our staff colleagues in the Force. This Christmas is undoubtedly going to be extremely difficult for each of their loved ones, and our thoughts will be with them over the festive period.

While we’ve been met by numerous hurdles this year, we can’t help but be full of so much pride as we reflect on the past 12 months.

The exceptional stories shared by so many of our members really showcase the quality and diversity of our members here in Nottinghamshire. We look forward to hearing more from you in 2024. 

For many of you, Christmas will be spent protecting members of the public. May we take this opportunity to thank you. We do hope you get a chance to enjoy some much-deserved time with family and friends over the next few weeks.

Have a merry Christmas and a healthy, happy New Year. 

From: Branch chair Simon Riley and branch secretary Tom Hill