PC Joe Woolf
Ahead of Cambridgeshire Constabulary’s 32-person entry into the Great Eastern Run next month, we spoke to Federation member Joe Woolf about his efforts for a charity held in high regard by the Force.
A team of officers and staff are taking on the half-marathon on Sunday (13 October) and are raising money for Peterborough Women’s Aid (PWA), an organisation that provides women with refuge from high-risk domestic abuse environments.
Each runner has an individual fundraising target of £120, and work towards this has seen a collective total surpass £3,000 with weeks remaining before the 13.1-mile feat.
PC Woolf is so far the group’s highest fundraiser and says he is delighted at the level of generosity he has received.
“I’m really proud of the amount I have raised up to this point and it’s all down to the brilliant support of my partner, family, friends and colleagues.
“I do think what truly matters is the total – a great cause will benefit all the same, regardless of who raises what – but to have personally reached the £500 mark is something I am thrilled about.”
The 25-year-old, who is a traffic officer for the joint Roads Policing Unit of Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Constabularies and Bedfordshire Police, was drawn on the reasons he believes his appeal for donations has been so successful.
“I think the fact I have been pretty vocal about the run on social media has played a key part. I’ve put photos and videos out and I imagine they’ve caught people’s attention – that was certainly the idea, anyway,” he explained.
“Another thing I believe will have made a difference is my role in traffic. I am visible across three different forces, so I’ve probably had a bit of an advantage over other officers in that respect. I’ve been very lucky and I’m very grateful.
“And like I say, it doesn’t really matter who gets donated what amount – everyone is showing a lot of enthusiasm to do this for a great cause and I think that advertises who we are as a force. There is a lot of closeness and friendship and that makes people more willing to commit to doing something like this together in their spare time, with both training and the event itself.”
Joe spoke more about his own dedication in the build-up to the run, revealing he was recently “roped into” a practice half-marathon which ended up giving him a boost of confidence that his endurance levels were on the right track with less than a month to go.
He has built up his long-distance ability since joining a Peterborough-based running club called ‘Common Pursuit’, in a departure from the exercise style he was previously accustomed to.
The constable’s former passion of weightlifting was halted by a groin hernia last year – and he has faced an uphill battle to build up the strength he has lost since surgery on the injury in April 2024.
“I have fallen into cardio instead of back to weights post-surgery. It’s not really my favoured way of keeping fit but it just felt easier being back at square one and it has certainly stood me in good stead for this run,” he explained.
“To be honest, I did lose motivation for a while after the hernia. I was away from work for several weeks, at home resting when I was eager to get out and do exercise. Being part of the run club and having official events like the Great Eastern Run to focus on has helped me get that drive back.”
The biggest winners from the occasion, though, will rightfully be PWA, Joe maintained.
“As police, we’ve seen ourselves how devastating domestic abuse can be, and in my experience, I’ve always known us to recommend them [PWA] to people needing help.
“They offer that immediate refuge from situations, but their care goes way beyond that. There are so many different ways they support women – even after they have helped them settle back into a healthy home life – and children too, who may be dealing with second-hand trauma. I think it’s important to highlight that aspect of their service.
“I am honoured to be raising money for a charity that do such incredible work,” he ended.
Federation members can support Joe and the rest of the team by visiting their JustGiving page.