WMPBF_Newsletter_2025

0121 752 4919 Newsletter 2025 www.wmpben.co.uk Supporting our members Office open Monday and Wednesday 8.30am to 4.00pm and Friday 8.30am to 3.00pm Celebrating 50 years! Committed to providing essential help to the serving, retired officers and police staff of West Midlands Police 1974 - 2024 Celebrating together Welcome to our special anniversary edition that encapsulates the wonderful moments of 2024 and celebrates the milestones of the past 50 years. Chairman’s message What a year it has been! It has been filled with friends, both old and new, joy, gratitude and a touch of nostalgia thrown in too. As our special anniversary year draws to a close, I want to say a personal thank you to all our members for their incredible support over the years. We would not be celebrating the Benevolent Fund’s achievements without you. I’m so proud of our team, the Trustees and Operations Committee and the ambassadors who promote our good work. I feel very confident that with the steady growth in membership and our valued partnerships, West Midlands Police Benevolent Fund will continue to offer vital support to its members for many years to come. From birthday parties to ceremonial events, this past year has been filled with many special moments. Who can forget the Great British spirit shown by our guests during a very wet and soggy anniversary party in August! Our members have been an integral part in the Benevolent Fund’s journey. Thank you for celebrating with us in 2024, we can’t wait to continue the journey with you!

Holiday ballot opens One of our special partnerships is with the North West Police Benevolent Fund and their outstanding therapy centre, St Michael’s Lodge. The centre offers first class treatment for both mental and physical wellbeing, with a whole range of treatments, including physiotherapy, counselling and holistic therapies. Our holiday ballot will open again on Monday 6 January 2025 for members to express an interest in staying in one of our two holiday homes for the 2025/26 season. To enter the ballot, simply click on the online calendar featured on our holiday home webpages for Peels Retreat (Weymouth) and Court Cottage (Dartmouth) and select your chosen week. On 3 February registration will close and then the ballot will take place to decide which members have been successful with their bid. If you are successful, you will be contacted by a member of our team. Good Luck! AGM 2025 Members of the Fund are invited to attend our Annual General Meeting on Friday 16 May 2025 at Guardian’s House, Sheldon, Birmingham, B26 3EA. This will be a special meeting that will include voting for our Trustees who will be seeking re-appointment to our committee. They are; John Kevin Williams, (Chairman), Nicholas Simpson (Vice Chairman), Simon Gilbert Westwood, Gillian Elaine Hazlewood OBE and Richard Youds. Notification of Charity’s Accounts Members will be able to view last year’s accounts online via www.wmpben.co.uk from 15th April. You can access them using the password WMPBENCHARITY. Alternatively you can call 0121 752 4919 or email info@wmpben.co.uk and we will send you a copy. Helping members back Physiotherapy We offer residential treatment to promote the physical and psychological wellbeing of our members. The physio team at St Michael’s have extensive experience in offering individual treatment, including exercise classes and complimentary therapies. There is a strong emphasis on self-management with home exercise programs designed to further aid recovery. Specific treatments may include; Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy, Hydrotherapy, Exercise Prescription / Strength and Conditioning Programs and Acupuncture. www.facebook.com/wmpben @wmpbenfund Instagram.com/wmpbenfundcharity

Anniversary Prize Draw As a thank you to members for supporting us over the years we launched a special 50th Anniversary Prize Draw that ran over the course of our commemorative year. Each month we gave away a prize, kindly donated by local companies, charities and organisations. k to health WellBeing Our five-day residential WellBeing break offers members holistic treatments including Mindfullness, Massage, Tai Chi, Stretch and alternative therapies, all set in the beautiful surroundings of the Ribble Valley. Mental Health Support Our counselling services provided to members is on a self-referral and confidential basis. We offer a wide variety of counselling, covering all aspects of professional and personal life to support you and your mental health. “ After suffering three slipped discs following a fall at work, I attended St Michael’s Lodge to receive treatment. I received a tailored programme to aid my recovery including one-to-one physiotherapy and a range of classes which catered to my injury. The site is set in a peaceful village with nearby amenities and the accommodation is of a high standard with top notch facilities. The treatment I received at St Michael’s was second to none and well worth the £2 per month paid to the Benevolent Fund.” Serving WMP officer Visit www.wmpben.co.uk for more details and to apply for treatment. “ We all had an amazing day and chose a day which was less busy. The boys particularly enjoyed the Planetarium whereby protection cameras create space stories and facts on the auditoriums ceiling.” Darren Armstrong, serving member “ I was lucky enough to win for a weekend, a very nice and brand-new Mercedes convertible SL55 AMG. It was a brilliant car and it was a very sunny weekend so I was able to drive it with the roof down the whole time.” Alan, serving member “ Thank you so much for our family ticket to the Think tank. I hadn’t been there for many years and it was great to revisit and see all the history of Birmingham. A special family day out. Keep up the good work WMP Benevolent Fund, it really is appreciated” Debbie, retired member www.facebook.com/wmpben @wmpbenfund Instagram.com/wmpbenfundcharity

WMPBF, Guardians House, 2111 Coventry Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, B26 3EA Member benefits explained All members can apply for: • Access to Interest-free loans and grants in times of hardship or distress • Sickness vouchers if a member is unable to work due to injury or illness • Physiotherapy treatment and wellbeing breaks at St Michael’s Lodge treatment centre • Mental health support including online counselling • Discounted holidays at Fund’s holiday properties • Exclusive rewards scheme offering a range of discounts • Free Will Writing Service Members who are serving officers or police staff are also entitled to: • Death grant of £3,500 to a nominated person • £25 per week to children of deceased officer or police staff employee up to 16 years of age or 18 if in full-time education Helping you is at the heart of what we do We have given out over £64,000 in charitable grants and loans this year to support members suffering serious illness, mobility issues, distress, and hardship. Over £9,000 was granted in the form of interest free loans; including a loan for a stairlift to help a member with a progressive illness. An additional £55,000 was awarded in grants, including a stairlift for a retired member suffering from cancer and a special rise and fall chair for a member with limited mobility following a severe stroke. We also gave a special grant to provide the West Midlands Police Honour Guard with a funeral drape when conducting their ceremonial duties. One of the grants we gave was to retired member Chris and his wife Sharon, both retired West Midlands Police officers. Chris has been suffering with Dementia for a couple of years now, and Sharon has become his fulltime carer. “ We have both been paying into the Benevolent fund since joining the police and didn’t opt out on retiring, but in truth, I’ve never really given any thought to what they actually do”, explained Sharon. “ Unbeknownst to Chris or I, the Ben Fund are, among other things, there to offer financial support to police officers in time of need. I had no idea what that actually meant, a loan, a grant, a contribution? “ I submitted a form for funding for an en-suite. Within a week, the fabulous Steve Newbury, from the Benevolent Fund, was sitting on my settee discussing exactly what Chris’s immediate and future needs would be. To cut a long story short, we answered a few questions, we filled in a couple of forms and we submitted a few quotes and on Friday I got a phone call. “ The Benevolent Fund agreed to cover the full cost of the renovations to the en-suite. To say I am amazed, overwhelmed, shocked beyond belief is an understatement. To realise I didn’t even know this help, this support was even available, makes me feel rather stupid. So, I just wanted to say thank you to the West Midlands Police Benevolent Fund.”

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