Welfare vans prove a hit at Commonwealth Games

8 August 2022

As the Commonwealth Games draw to a close today, the Federation’s Welsh lead has reflected on the success of the policing operation and the work of Fed reps to support members deployed to the event.

Nicky Ryan has been in Birmingham throughout the Games and has worked alongside North Wales Police Federation’s Jayne Humphreys who was in the city with the branch’s welfare van.

Dyfed Powys also had its welfare van available to officers with chair and secretary, Gareth Jones and Roger Webb, on hand to offer advice.

Nicky (third from left) with the welfare vans and other Federation reps working during the Games.

Other welfare vans were provided by West Midlands, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Humberside branches.

“It’s been a fantastic experience working here since just before the Games opened on 28 July,” says Nicky, “The welfare vans have been well received by officers who have been pleased to be able to get hot and cold drinks while deployed to the Games.

“We are aware that we were not able to reach all officers, or as many as we would like, as we have experienced some tricky days trying to get through security as some officers were in specially accredited areas.

“But we worked hard at trying to send stuff into them to make sure they were looked after, with reps putting food and drink in rucksacks and going in on foot. This has been a learning curve for us all for next time there is a mutual aid operation of this scale and this is something we need to consider.”

Nicky said the atmosphere at the Games had been incredible.

“West Midlands officers, staff and volunteers have been so welcoming and we have loved being here and working alongside everyone involved to make the Games work,” she explained.

“It’s been so interesting and inspiring getting to meet officers from different forces and sharing stories and experiences. Events like this make you realise the variety and diversity of people that we have in policing, in terms of ages, backgrounds, experiences, cultures and nationalities and you realise we are all doing the same job but in often different ways.

“I have enjoyed working at the Commonwealth Games and am grateful to everyone who has engaged with us at the van and who has helped make this such a rewarding and enjoyable event.”

While the welfare vans proved a hit, there was also a degree of success in dealing with some issues with the accommodation provided to officers from across England and Wales who were in Birmingham to provide mutual aid.

“Luckily, due to the working relationships established between the Federation and the Operation Unity team most of the initial problems officers had around food and accommodation at the start of this deployment were quickly ironed out,” says Nicky.

The Commonwealth Games, which end today, has been the first major policing operation since Special Constables were given access to Federation membership and Nicky said she and other reps had made the most of being to get out to meet the policing volunteers.

“We took advantage of the opportunity to remind them they can subscribe to the Police Federation to get all the same benefits as their regular colleagues. We are very pleased to welcome them into the Federation and look forward to working with them at events like this in the future and to providing them support and advice when needed.