Do you know an exceptional police volunteer who deserves special recognition?

Has a special constable gone above and beyond in a time of crisis? Maybe a police support volunteer helped you secure your home during a home security visit? Or perhaps a volunteer police cadet has supported you at an event?
Do you know an exceptional police volunteer who deserves some special recognition?Do you know an exceptional police volunteer who deserves some special recognition?
Do you know an exceptional police volunteer who deserves some special recognition?

Leicestershire Police is asking readers to nominate worthy candidates for a Lord Ferrers Award, the Home Office’s annual celebration of police volunteers in England and Wales.

This year is the first year that nominations have been open to the public, having previously only been available to police officers and staff.

Lord Ferrers was Minister of State at the Home Office between 1988 and 1994. In 1993 he founded the Special Constable and Police Support Volunteer Awards to pay tribute to the vital role volunteers play in support of policing and making communities safer. Lord Ferrers passed away in 2012 and the awards were renamed in his honour.

Leicestershire Police currently has 753 committed volunteers who regularly dedicate their time and effort. The force would like you to help them celebrate the remarkable work of its volunteers by nominating them for an award.

Anyone can nominate a special constable, police support volunteer or volunteer police cadet for an individual or team award.

Mike Penning, minister for policing, fire, criminal justice and victims, said: “I urge members of the public to get involved and nominate police volunteers who they think have made an outstanding contribution to their communities for an award.”

Nominations are open until midnight on Sunday, July 17. To nominate a volunteer, click here. and complete the nomination form from the Home Office website.

The Lord Ferrers Award categories are:

• Special Constabulary – Individual Award

• Special Constabulary – Team Award

• Police Support Volunteer – Individual Award

• Police Support Volunteer – Team Award

• Volunteer Police Cadet – Individual Award

• Volunteer Police Cadet – Team Award

• Employer Supported Policing Award: Open to individuals and teams of employees who support their local police force through volunteering. The award recognises the contribution of both volunteers and their employers and will now be open to those accredited under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme.

• Leadership Award: Open to individual Special Constables who have demonstrated a significant and sustained contribution to leadership.

The awards ceremony will be held during September 2016, where a Home Office minister will present winners and runners up with their awards.

For further information on the awards, please contact the volunteers in policing team at [email protected].