Liz Groom on Police Unity Tour
The chair of Cambridgeshire Police Federation, Liz Groom, will take part in this year’s Police Unity Tour – a poignant and personal event for the long-serving representative who plans to retire next year.
This will be the second time Liz has taken part in the national fundraising bike ride, which raises money for the charity Care of Police Survivors (COPS) and this year, will start on Friday (1 August).
The charity supports the families of officers who have died in the line of duty.
“I did the tour around six years ago,” Liz said, adding: “And as I look ahead to retiring next year, I really wanted to take part one last time. It’s a cause that means a great deal to me.”
This year’s tour will be especially significant for Liz, who will be riding in memory of PC Andy Newbery – a Cambridgeshire officer who died on duty in 2003.
“Andy wasn’t just a colleague, he was a friend. I’ll be riding in his memory this year,” she said. “We’ve only had one officer from Cambridgeshire killed in the line of duty, and I want to honour him in this way.
“But I’ll also be thinking of all our colleagues and friends who’ve died from different causes, those we’ve lost to illness or those who’ve taken their own lives.”
The Police Unity Tour sees officers from forces across the country cycle hundreds of miles to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, where a remembrance service is held for fallen officers.
“The ride and the service are a chance to stop and remember everyone we’ve lost,” said Liz. “A dear friend of mine, Liz Cooper, recently died of cancer, and I’ll be thinking of her too.”
Despite the emotional significance of the event, the physical challenge hasn’t been easy, Liz revealed: “I have to admit, training has been a struggle.
“I’ve been pushing myself up those hills on training rides, but I’m part of a brilliant team. There are 11 of us taking part from Cambridgeshire – a small team, but a real police family effort. We all keep each other going.”
Among this year’s team is Cambridgeshire’s Chief Constable, Nick Dean, who, like Liz, wanted to complete the tour before retirement.
“It’s really special to have the Chief riding with us,” said Liz. “It says a lot about the importance of this event and what it means to us as police officers.”
The Police Unity Tour is expected to raise thousands of pounds for COPS and stands as a powerful show of solidarity and remembrance within the policing community.
Team Cambridgeshire will depart from Police HQ at 9am on the Friday and have encouraged staff to get down to reception and wave them off as they embark on day one of the Unity Tour.
The ride finishes on Sunday (3 August), where the Cambridgeshire Chapter will join hundreds of others for the annual COPS Service of Remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
Donate to Liz’s JustGiving page here.
