A team of riders from Cambridgeshire Constabulary will once again be taking part in this year’s Police Unity Tour, the sponsored cycle ride raising awareness of officers killed in the line of duty and raising funds for the charity that supports their families.
Officers interested in joining the Cambridgeshire Chapter of the tour are being urged to register now and pay the £150 registration fee which is non-refundable and offsets the costs of two nights’ accommodation and a Police Unity Tour cycling jersey.
“The Police Unity Tour seems to grow each year,” says Liz Groom, chair of Cambridgeshire Police Federation, “It is an excellent fundraiser for Care of Police Survivors, the charity that does so much to help the families of fallen officers, but also serves as a reminder of the way in which officers all too often pay the ultimate price when serving their communities.
“Our officers are keen supporters of the tour, and I would urge anyone interested in getting involved by taking part this year to register as soon as possible.”
Those taking part in the tour will set off from their home forces across England and Wales on Friday 26 July and will make their way to the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire for the annual Care of Police Survivors (COPS) service of remembrance on Sunday 28 July. The route usually covers around 180 miles over the two days.
The Police Unity Tour is now in its 12th year and has raised more than £1.2 million to fund the invaluable peer support offered to families through COPS.
To take part this year, entrants have to register online and pay a £15o non-refundable registration fee which will offset the costs of two nights’ accommodation and a PUT cycling jersey.
COPS was founded in 2003 by retired Strathclyde police officer Jim McNulty and Christine Fulton (MBE) whose husband PC Lewis Fulton was murdered on duty in Glasgow in 1994.
COPS contacts the survivors of every officer who loses their life on duty, explaining what support the charity can offer and inviting them to get in touch if they need such support.