We’ll always have parrots
28 birds seized in Bury operation
Polly want a crackdown on animal welfare offences
Officers from Bury recovered 28 birds worth a total of around £65,875 in an operation tackling the illegal breeding and selling of endangered African grey parrots.
The birds – 23 common African grey parrots, a double yellow-headed Amazon parrot, a bronze-winged pionus parrot, a military macaw, a green wing macaw and a scarlet macaw – were seized due to concerns for their care during the execution of a warrant at a premises in Bury town centre.
Officers seized items relating to money laundering and permit offences, as well as paperwork relating to the sale and breeding of the birds, from an address in Heywood. Three people –one woman aged 33, a 30-year-old man and a 29-year-old man – were arrested
on suspicion of money laundering and bailed.
Inspector Kevin Wright said: “We received concerns from the community that the parrots are being imported illegally and there is a strong likelihood that they are not been cared for correctly, as many have diseases. Intelligence was gathered indicating that someone had been trying to sell these parrots without the correct licence to do so. These birds need to be looked after properly, because they could be carrying avian flu and other diseases if not properly cared for.
“The warrants were executed by the Bury neighbourhood team along with the RSPCA and Animal and Plant Health Agency; these partner agencies helped to ensure that all evidence relating to
the birds was cared for in the correct manner.”
Det Supt Stuart Round, who led the operation, said: “This case, although unusual, was a really great piece of partnership working. I am proud of our team here who have pulled together a really smooth operation incorporating resources from around the country. They have worked long hours to maximise the impact. This may not have been a traditional commodity which criminals deal in, but they are suspected of making vast sums of money and it’s absolutely right that we as a policing team crack down on that.”
The parrots have been passed on to the RSPCA, which will enable them to receive the specialist care they need.
National praise for Rochdale’s Operation Affect
Operation Affect, GMP’s ‘Clear Hold Build’ (CHB) initiative in Rochdale’s Freehold estate, has been recognised nationally for its creative and dedicated use of civil powers, injunctions, and robust partnership work to sustainably tackle embedded criminality by working with the community itself.
The initiative was designed to:
• Clear the area;
• Hold the location to prevent criminals exploiting the vacuum created by the original disruption; and
• Build a prosperous, resilient community in collaboration with our partners and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH).
Det Supt Andy Farrell, national lead for serious organised crime at the National Police Chiefs’ Council, wrote to ACCs Matt Boyle and Danny Inglis saying: “Whilst the stats speak for themselves, I was extremely impressed around the use of closure orders to restrict access to communal areas within the tower blocks. There has clearly been some thought around the communication and engagement strategy which has maximised opportunities to highlight what has been achieved through positive key messaging.
“Clear, Hold, Build is now embedded across 42 forces and 61 sites; what I can say with confidence is that the delivery in the Freehold estate is
probably one of, if not the best, example of CHB being delivered currently across policing.”
In November 2024, as part of ongoing Op Affect work in the area, GMP secured its first Open Space Closure Order Zone on the Freehold estate. The order, which was secured for a period of three months, prohibits non-residents from congregating in stairwells, on landings, bridges and near bin chutes, and within open spaces attached to properties – all the issues which our community told us were affecting them the most. The results have been positive, and the team has established that there is no need to reapply for an extension to the order.
As the closure order comes to an end, GMP Rochdale has received
positive feedback from the community who have said ‘this is the best thing to happen around here in a long time’, ‘we definitely feel safer in the evenings’, ‘anti-social behaviour in general has decreased’, and ‘thanks to you all for making Freehold a place to feel proud to live in again.’
Inspector Meena Yasin, who has been driving this initiative, said:
“This operation has very much been community-focused and is the product of hours of interaction with local residents and partners, and represents what they want from their police force.
“I’m proud we could make this commitment to the community and my team and I look forward to future investment and improvements in the area.”
GMP TAU to walk for charity
Seven officers from GMP’s Tactical Aid Unit (TAU) are planning to walk the length of Hadrian’s Wall to raise money for the British Heart Foundation in memory of PC Craig Higgins, who served with the TAU from 2008 until his sudden death after becoming unwell while on duty in 2022.
The team will be undertaking the UK’s fourth longest walk: the full length of Hadrian’s Wall, just short of 90 miles. They plan to leave from Bowness-On-
Solway in Cumbria on Sunday 20 April and finish in Wallsend in North Tyneside on Friday 25 April 2025, stopping at campsites or wild camping where permissible along the way.
The team have already more than doubled their initial target of £1000, but would welcome any further donations.
You can make a donation at https://www.justgiving.com/page/ craighigginschallenge or by scanning the QR code on this page.
Bookings have now opened for the Chief Constable’s annual roadshow, where the force joins together to celebrate our achievements over the past year and discuss how we want to progress in the future.
Last year’s events were fully booked, so make sure you claim your place as soon as you can!
This year’s roadshow events will be held on the following dates:
• Tuesday 6 May, Queen Elizabeth
Hall, Oldham – 10am to 12 noon
• Tuesday 6 May, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Oldham – 1:30pm to 3:30pm
• Wednesday 7 May, Concorde hangar, Manchester Airport – 10am to 12 noon
• Wednesday 7 May, Concorde hangar, Manchester Airport –1:30pm to 3:30pm
• Friday 9 May, Midland Hotel, city centre – 10am to 12 noon (this session is now fully booked)
• Friday 9 May, Midland Hotel, city
centre – 1:30pm to 3:30pm (this session is now fully booked)
• Monday 12 May, Concorde hangar, Manchester Airport – 10am to 12 noon
• Monday 12 May, Concorde hangar, Manchester Airport – 1:30pm to 3:30pm
You can book your place and let us know any questions you have for the Chief Officer team at https://forms.office. com/e/vZT3qqMhe9.
Leading the way on digital evidence management
In February 2025, GMP welcomed visitors from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and An Garda Síochána, Ireland’s national police and security service, to learn more from our work around digital evidence management.
The visits were facilitated by GMP’s Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) lead Inspector Ainscough, with the aim of sharing valuable insights into effective use of DEMS with our colleagues. The visit not only demonstrated the importance of collaboration between UK forces but also indicated just how GMP’s efficiency and effectiveness with DEMS is being noticed as leading the way both nationally and internationally. MPS Supt Paul Southern said: “The goal of our visit was to understand best practices from GMP in the areas of evidence.com and digital evidence management. The visit will help MPS improve processes, streamline operations, reduce redundancies, and boost productivity. Additionally, the visit enabled us to share projects for mutual support and feedback, enhance efficiencies in MPS’s current tech solutions and understand automation capability.”
Garda contractor Derek Gallagher said: “Many thanks for hosting us and for your time; the knowledge, experience and expertise you shared with us in relation to DEMS has been invaluable.
“It is invaluable to meet officers and develop relationships with a police force from a neighbouring country. The learnings from the visit to GMP demonstrated to us the benefits that can be achieved by using DEMS technology for community engagement with the public, business and other agencies. The discussions we had will help us make enlightened decisions planning the roll out of body-worn camera and Digital Evidence Management Systems nationally.”
Insp Mark Ainscough said: “GMP continues to lead the way on the technology front – forever advancing, upgrading and innovating for efficient working practices which best fight crime and protect our communities – yet collaboration remains key.
“It is all about learning from each other and it is important we share all we have learned during our growth. Sharing best practices and offering support to UK forces is important so that we all achieve greater efficiency, innovate faster, and drive better results for the communities we serve. GMP looks forward to facilitating more collaborative visits in the future.”
The visit comes in the wake of the GMP launch in January of evidence.com’s latest resource, Photobook, which ensures faster and more efficient sharing of digital evidence with investigative partners.
Operation Hampshire seminars
Four seminars on Operation Hampshire, which provides resources and support for police officers and staff who have been attacked or assaulted at work, will be delivered at the Sedgley Park chapel on Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 March 2025.
The seminars, which will consist of an input by Dave Brewster from the College of Policing followed by a question-and-answer session, will be held from 9:30 to 11:30am and 12:30 to 2:30pm on each day. While these sessions are mainly aimed at frontline leaders, such as sergeants and inspectors, senior leaders are also encouraged to attend, as is anyone who has an interest in the subject.
Dave was responsible for developing Op Hampshire as a national strategy for Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service. The strategy has now been adopted across all UK forces and is fully endorsed by key stakeholders, including the Police Federation, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the trade union Unison. With over eight years’ experience in this specific field, Dave is considered a subject matter expert and is confident that the experience and insights accrued through this work are adaptable and transferable across sectors.
His key message is that it is essential for colleagues to feel valued as victims of assault and aggression. This requires a change in culture to recognise that every assault regardless of injury has a potential impact on the individual, the wider workforce and beyond. Op Hampshire calls for authentic, supportive leadership and a meaningful response to the realities our colleagues face.
To book a session please contact Inspector Jim Warren (james.warren@gmp.police.uk) and let him know your first and second choice for the sessions you want to attend.
Understanding Op Hampshire
Oscar Kilo’s Operation Hampshire aims to prioritise officer and staff wellbeing by ensuring that officers and staff who have been attacked are taken seriously as victims and that the impact of every assault is considered, regardless of injury.
It provides guidance, strategy and resources both for officers and staff who have been attacked while working, and for their supervisors and line managers.
Sometimes when we experience a traumatic event – such as being assaulted or subjected to a hate crime – the full impact of what has happened doesn’t hit us until days or weeks afterwards. The psychological effects of being attacked at work are often more insidious, and can last far longer, than the physical injuries.
Different people experience and respond to trauma in very different ways and with varying levels of resilience, formed by their own individual experiences; and there is no right or wrong way to experience trauma.
GMP recognises that the wellbeing of our officers and staff is paramount to maintaining a strong, effective police force, and we want to ensure that every officer or member of staff who is attacked while at work is treated like any other victim of a crime – that they have meaningful support, regular contact from the team investigating their case, and that the support that they receive has oversight at a senior level.
Operation Hampshire is a national initiative offering the necessary strategy and guidance to help forces respond effectively to assaults on police officers and staff, enabling us to get the basics right for our colleagues when they need us most.
You can learn more about Op Hampshire, including information and resources for victims of crime, their supervisors and SLTs, on our dedicated intranet hub at Home > Operational support > Operation Hampshire, or by scanning the QR code on this page.
Right Care, Right Person: Call handler Ciara Oxton
Ciara tells us about the benefits and challenges of Right Care, Right Person (RCRP), five months in.
How do you feel about RCRP so far? There has definitely been a reduction in calls coming through to us, and directing people to the right agency has benefited our call times. It has made me realise that we used to attend to a lot of jobs that we weren’t really able to help with, such as mental health jobs – all officers could do was check people were safe or bring them to hospital, whereas now we can direct them to mental health services straight away, where they get the help and support they need. I am more satisfied now that we are sending police to actual policing jobs rather than medical, mental or social issues that aren’t for the police.
What aspects have been positive for you?
The number of care homes reporting young people missing has been reduced. As a call handler, I saw a large number of these types of callers each shift; they usually weren’t conducting initial enquiries themselves and always had a reason why they couldn’t. Now, the RCRP policy clearly instructs them that we will not take the report unless enquiries are done first. There has also been a good reduction in calls for welfare checks, as the public and other agencies are now more aware of their duty of care and what actions they must take first before contacting police.
What challenges have you encountered with the new initiative? It was hard to get used to at the start –morally, we automatically want to help everyone and deploy to almost every call we get – however, it has been an eye-opener that we weren’t always actually helping when we were deployed to almost every job. We already knew police officers aren’t trained for complex medical or mental health issues, so it has been beneficial directing people to the right agency.
There was initially a lot of confusion surrounding missing reports; that took the most time for call handlers to become accustomed to, but as time has gone on, I think people have
definitely got the hang of it. There are still some grey areas on what to do with the logs for certain jobs, say if circumstances change or there is some kind of obstruction to completing checks, which we have raised with subject matter experts (SMEs) and call handling supervisors (HAC) over the last couple of months.
How did you overcome these challenges, and who or what helped you?
The SPOCs worked with each other to get a better understanding and shared thoughts on what would be the right route with these confusing or grey areas; we also raised our confusions or concerns with the SMEs and HAC to gain an understanding of the right path. We made sure the daily updates were accurate to avoid confusion. It also helped having people from other forces which had RCRP in place for a year or more come to assist in the beginning with their knowledge and experience.
How do you think the public feels about RCRP?
There are plenty of members of the public who are understanding, who take advice well and actually carry out checks and enquiries when instructed to do so. Some members of the public still do not agree with RCRP and have expressed this to call handlers – some of these people even work for partner agencies. Some callers express their dissatisfaction with RCRP over the phone and some refuse to take the advice given to them, while others may complain but will still follow our directions. Our call handlers know, from speaking with SPOCs, SMEs and HAC, to reiterate the policy advice and explain how the police are not able to provide efficient help and support for every matter raised to them but we can direct the caller to the right agency. When it comes to livechats and online submissions, some people do try and put up a bit more of a fight for police attendance, however the advice still remains the same.
Do you think RCRP may have contributed to improving public confidence?
I feel the public have become more
aware of what the police are there for and have more knowledge on what they should do before contacting police. One key public benefit of the initiative is that we are able to deploy officers to actual policing incidents faster now that they are not attending to all physical and mental health jobs.
Can you provide an example of when applying RCRP principles was particularly beneficial to a caller in crisis?
While taking a missing report for a person under 18, it became apparent that the caller had not made enough reasonable enquiries to locate them: they hadn’t checked with the young person’s friends despite having their contact details or checked places where they have previously been located. They were instructed to make these checks and called us back not long afterwards to advise that they had located the young person, whose phone had simply run out of battery, as a result of these checks.
What do you hope to gain from continuing RCRP in the future?
I hope that calls to police for physical, mental health and social issues continue to reduce, that people continue to make reasonable enquiries before reporting someone missing, and for us as call handlers to feel confident in passing RCRP advice to callers without having to question whether the matter is for police or not.
GMP Male Voice Choir
The Greater Manchester Police Male Voice Choir (GMPMVC) was launched in June 1974, just two months after the formation of GMP itself. For the first two decades or so of its existence, the choir consisted solely of serving police officers, but as the years passed it began to open its ranks to members of the public who had been appropriately vetted.
At its largest, the choir had more than 40 active members; even now it still musters up to fifteen singers for concerts locally and elsewhere in the UK, as well as overseas. It still retains one original founding member, while a few others have clocked up over 40 years of service – but new members are always welcome!
The choir’s watchword is ‘music and mirth’, with a repertoire ranging from classic numbers such as American Trilogy and Gwahoddiad to Gilbert and Sullivan, by way of Rogers and Hammerstein and more modern showtunes from musicals such as Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, all the way through to items by Perry Como and Queen, all punctuated by signature comedy moments and ad lib stylings. Its members are proud to say that there will be something for everyone – and the friends they make wherever they go would agree.
They are experienced travellers, having visited Sweden at least six times, Germany four times and Finland twice; always singing at least one item in the native language wherever they go. Reciprocal visits have been made by police choirs from each of these countries. Closer to home, the choir has undertaken four tours to both Scotland and the Isle of Man, along with jaunts to South Wales, North East England and the West Country.
For its 45th anniversary in 2019, the choir celebrated with a cruise to the Norwegian fjords, performing two concerts while on board to packed audiences: an adventure which was enjoyed by all who went on the tour. Special
mention must also be made of North Wales, where a concert in Llandudno has been an annual feature since 1983 – always commencing with a rousing rendition of Land of My Fathers, sung in Welsh and closing with the splendid hymn tune Cwm Rhondda.
The choir performs an average of two concerts a month, and such is its popularity and reputation that bookings are often taken at least a year in advance.
GMPMVC members are both proud and privileged to have assisted in raising many thousands of pounds for numerous organisations and charities, including:
• The Deep Sea Fishermen’s Mission (in response to an invitation from Mission patron the late Queen Elizabeth II)
• Scope
• The Rainbow Trust
• Rochdale Springhill Hospice
• Bury Hospice
• Francis House Children’s Hospice
The choir has also been pleased to help many local schools and churches in his endeavours.
Singing in a choir offers a multitude of benefits that extend beyond just the joy of making music. From improved physical health and mental wellbeing to fostering social connections and a sense of community, the advantages are clear and compelling.
GMPMVC is an excellent place to start reaping these benefits, offering a welcoming environment to make fabulous music with like-minded individuals. For any man seeking to improve their wellbeing and escape daily stress, joining this choir could be a transformative experience.
If you want to join the choir, learn more about us or book the choir for a concert, please visit the GMPMVC Facebook page, website at www.gmpmvc.com or drop an email to our secretary at fpgmpmvc@gmail.com.
One million years PC
There’s something deeply nostalgic about retiring a piece of technology that has served both GMP and its communities faithfully for over a decade.
And so, as GMP’s IT branch decommissions a 12-year-old server 10 feet high and eight feet wide at its Claytonbrook data centre in order to replace it with a compact nine-inch model, there is a feeling that we are not just shutting down a machine; we’re closing a chapter in the force’s technological evolution.
A giant in its time
Back in 2012, the server was a marvel. With an astonishing one petabyte of storage (one quadrillion bytes, or 1,000 terabytes), it stood as a tribute to the force’s ambition and innovation. Housed within Cisco’s network infrastructure, this unit played a vital role in hosting some of our most iconic, memorable programmes, such as Opus, Domino, Outlook, SharePoint, GMPShared and the Y drive (which was also shut down for good on Friday 7 March 2025).
And it held its ground. Over 12 years, it experienced only one unexpected downtime – an impressive feat, given that the only recorded failure was after a penetration test. Yet, for all its resilience, this server was never quite as fast as the force had envisioned. With 100% mechanical disks, it
lacked the speed of today’s SSD-driven infrastructure. Still, it has endured, standing firm in a carefully regulated 20oC environment, ensuring the longevity of the physical hardware while effectively safeguarding critical data.
The end of an era
GMP solution architect Rob Locke said: “Despite its onceimpressive capabilities, this giant has become a relic of a bygone era, a technological dinosaur in a world that demands speed, security, and energy efficiency.
“Its replacement, by contrast, is a compact, high-performance unit just 10 inches in size – a fraction of its predecessor’s footprint, yet considerably faster, more secure and efficient.
“The new system is not just about modernisation. It represents a shift towards a cloud-based future for GMP, ensuring our organisation remains agile, cost-effective, and prepared for technological change and challenges. With easier maintenance, reduced costs, and lower energy consumption, it’s an evolution that cannot be ignored.”
Memory beyond the machine
As Rob and his IT colleagues prepared for the governmentregulated process of stripping hard drives and recycling components, the team couldn’t help but reflect. This server is more than a piece of equipment: it holds the digital memories of a generation, indelible traces of a renaissance of progress. It has borne witness to innovation, and the relentless march of time.
More about the Y drive
Due to the decommissioning of the 12-year-old server, on Friday 7 March 2025 the IT team permanently closed down the legacy GMPShared drive – an access path to all legacy network drives which were migrated away between 2012 and 2022 – and the Y drive, which had provided personal file storage before the adoption of Microsoft’s OneDrive service in 2022.
IT will not store any backups of these shares, as the data should have been migrated to other locations during the previously mentions projects and this solution was retained as the backup. For any further information about the servers or drives at GMP, please contact rob.locke@gmp.police.uk.
New video interview process
As part of our ongoing drive to improve the way we engage with vulnerable victims and witnesses, including children, GMP has launched a new process for arranging and conducting video interviews with children and vulnerable adults.
More than 800 officers in total have dialled into continuous professional development (CPD) sessions on the new process, while a further 110 who weren’t able to attend have watched the training video.
Comments on the training included: “This is an amazing session – what you are saying is common sense – I wish response would come on it – they would benefit so much! I am really enjoying this session, thank you!” and “This was a well needed CPD and hopefully it gets the message across how important it is to get this area of policing right.”
You can find more information, including a link to the training video, on the investigative interviewing intranet page at Home >
Operational support > Investigative interviewing.
If you have any queries, please contact DS Matt Donnelly (matthew.donnelly@gmp.police.uk), DC Jane Milner (jane. milner@gmp.police.uk) or your district video interview SPOC:
CoM South CoMvideointerviewrequest@gmp.police.uk
COM Central CoMvideointerviewrequest@gmp.police.uk
CoM North CoMvideointerviewrequest@gmp.police.uk
Salford Fvideointerviewrequest@gmp.police.uk
Tameside Gvideointerviewrequest@gmp.police.uk
Stockport Jvideointerviewrequest@gmp.police.uk
Bolton Kvideointerviewrequest@gmp.police.uk
Wigan Lvideointerviewrequest@gmp.police.uk
Trafford Mvideointerviewrequest@gmp.police.uk
Bury Nvideointerviewrequest@gmp.police.uk
Rochdale Pvideointerviewrequest@gmp.police.uk
Oldham Qvideointerviewrequest@gmp.police.uk
New pool radio process
Welcome to the next instalment of GMP’s Back to Basics campaign, delivered by FCCO business continuity manager and force Airwave custodian Shannon Davies. This initiative focuses on ensuring that officers and staff arrive and depart their shifts correctly, have the right tools for their tasks, and address inconsistencies in device management.
As a refresher, please remember that if your radio is not working, you must never:
• Use another person’s personal issue Airwave radio in place of your own.
• Request another person’s personal issue Airwave radio to act as a pool device for your shift.
• Take your Airwave radio home, unless this has been authorised in exceptional circumstances by your chief inspector or staff equivalent.
• Share your Airwave radio PIN with another user.
• Delay reporting lost, stolen or faulty devices – any delay in reporting means a delay in removing the device from the Airwave network, which presents a security risk to the force and the wider Airwave user group.
FCCO and the radio workshops have collaboratively devised a new pool radio management process, aimed at addressing inconsistencies in device management. The process, which went live across GMP on Monday 17 February, supports best practices to ensure efficiency and safety throughout the force.
The
new process
If, at any point while on duty, you identify an issue with your Airwave radio – including technical faults, losing the radio or having it stolen – you must follow the new process as follows:
• Report it via the IT User Hub.
• Visit your district radio custodian (usually these will be DRMU colleagues). There will be a QR code displayed in your DRMU which you can scan to access the form for requesting a pool device.
• Once you submit the request form, a Teams alert will be generated directly to dispatch supervision in the control room, advising them of the profile changes required to ensure you map correctly on ControlWorks. They will then manually update systems and contact you to complete the required safety checks.
• The system will also generate email alerts to your DRMU custodian and radio workshops, to assist in tracking the Airwave radio devices held on your district and maintain accurate data on lost and stolen devices in line with Home Office report requirements.
Please do not contact the control room directly requesting a change. You must complete the new process in full.
Exceptions and variations: Specialist Operations and counterterrorism
• If you work in Spec Ops and carry a pool radio as a secondary device,
If you have an issue with your Airwave radio whilst on duty (faults, lost or stolen) you must follow the new process to obtain a pool radio.
these will continue to be issued according to local arrangements managed by your sergeants and inspectors. You will only be required to complete the above steps if you encounter issues with your personal issue radio.
• If you work in counterterrorism policing, please continue to liaise with your custodians to arrange the issue of covert pool devices.
Can’t remember the last time you switched your Airwave radio on?
There is ongoing work linked to the low user data report managed within radio workshops. This report currently indicates that there are high volumes of radios in issue that are not required. If you have a personal issue radio which you seldom use, please consider whether you genuinely need a personal issue device, or if you could simply utilise a pool device for those rare occasions when you need to maintain Airwave communications.
What to do outside DRMU working hours
In the event you require a pool device outside of DRMU working hours you will be required to make a request through your duty inspector, who will have access to the controlled area housing the Airwave equipment.
Lesley Healer: women’s health and the power of self-advocacy
When Lesley Healer was injured as part of a physical training session not long after going onto division in 2023, she wasn’t too worried – the session had been particularly tough and most of the team had been hurt; as one of the older women in her class at Sedgley Park, she had taken pride in being able to keep up with the younger students in training exercises.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the training and I was over the moon to have passed all the requirements; it was a joyous moment for me to go onto district,” she says. “I didn’t think anything at all of it when I got injured. I just felt a bit sore around my hip and stomach and thought I’d taken a bit of a knock – it was nothing compared to the physical training I’d dealt with as a student. Initially I seemed to be recovering as normal, but within a fortnight I started having more pain radiating into the pelvic area.
“I couldn’t understand what was happening, it didn’t make sense to me at all – surely I should be getting better? I went to A and E and had my hip X-rayed, but they didn’t find anything unusual. The doctor sent me away with some painkillers and told me I should take some time off to recover properly.”
Painkillers and time off didn’t help. Instead, the pain became worse, and within a week Lesley was back in A and E.
“They said my liver enzymes were high and asked me how much I had been drinking; I told them I don’t drink, but they wouldn’t believe me. Eventually they recommended an ultrasound, which I had to go to my GP to get a referral for – he said it might be something or it might be nothing, and it might take two weeks or it might take four weeks. I thought: nobody is taking responsibility for my health and wellbeing here, and I know there’s something serious going on with me. So I booked a private scan myself.”
Long before joining GMP, Lesley had worked as a district nurse, so she knew what to look for in an ultrasound reading. “The scan operator said ‘you were a nurse, weren’t you?’ and turned the screen to show me. I took one look at it and knew I was in trouble: I could see all these tumours on the scan, it wasn’t a pretty picture at all.” An NHS CT scan would reveal Lesley had ‘non-curative’ stage 4 cancer in her liver, pelvis and lung.
It’s not uncommon for serious health issues in women to be ignored or overlooked by doctors, and this wasn’t the first time Lesley had to contend with a healthcare professional who wasn’t taking her seriously. She remembers a doctor she saw in 2017 about a lump in her breast telling her husband ‘I don’t know what she’s going on about’; a mammogram would reveal the lump to be an aggressive stage 2 cancer.
Women Lesley’s age who are diagnosed with terminal or chronic illnesses have other issues to deal with as well, which can hamper their recovery. They may have high-intensity or stressful jobs; the majority of caring responsibilities both for children and elderly parents still commonly rests with female relatives. It’s easy to neglect self-care.
“Self-care, for me, came very late in the day – especially as a nurse, a carer and a mother, I would be in everyone’s corner looking after everyone else, but I neglected myself. I would work a 13-hour shift on nothing but a bar of chocolate. Your body can’t do that long term – when you’re young you think you can
do it forever, but then you get a bit older and your body starts going: hang on, you’re not looking after yourself. If you so much as mentioned self-care to me 20 or 25 years ago I would have said no, there’s no time to sit down and relax and just take time for myself, I’ve got too much to do; people need me; I’m wanted.
“I wish I could go back and say to my younger self, please just take time out and look after yourself. Do the things that make you feel good, make sure you have time to switch off and have time out. It’s so important because if you don’t, you will end up really, really poorly. The most important thing is awareness and prevention – preventative care is the best care.
“So much healthcare has been withheld or hoodwinked from women; it’s been vital to be able to speak with other women my age in the same situation – you get that sisterly support from someone who gets it. We’ve all got that common thread running through where, when you’re middle-aged, you’ve often got elderly parents who need your support, but even if you’re not well yourself there’s not a lot of support available for you. When you’re going through something and the person next to you is going through something similar, you’ve already got that connection and you can communicate on a deeper level.”
14 months after Lesley’s terminal diagnosis, she’s still determined to keep going with the help and support of her husband, GMP PSD Sgt Tony Healer, and her daughters Sky and Storm. “Most terminally ill patients don’t get a great stretch. You’ll hear of people being diagnosed with stage 4 cancers and they’re gone in a few months; the majority of late-stage cancer patients I saw when I was a nurse, I wouldn’t see for very long. One of the things that’s got me through the last 14 months has been that resilience that you pick up working both in healthcare and in policing.”
Wellbeing at Greater Manchester Police
Wellbeing webinars
Over the Easter weekend, author and life skills consultant Liggy Webb will deliver three live ‘wellbeing webinars’ to raise money for NHS and care workers across the UK.
The webinars are designed to suit any audience, offering a collection of practical tips to help people cope better through these challenging and rapidly changing times. They are free to register, with the option to make a donation via Webb’s JustGiving pages.
Each webinar will be around 45 minutes long, with a 20- to 25-minute presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. Attendees will also receive free access to post-webinar resources to support their overall wellbeing.
Personal resilience: how to build your inner strength
Friday 10 April, 10am
Understand the power of human resilience • Take personal responsibility
and feel more in control • Cope well with rapid change and uncertainty • Grow stronger through challenges and change • Adopt a positive and solutionfocused mindset
Positive thinking: how to manage uncertainty and anxiety
Saturday 11 April, 10am
Understand how to manage thoughts and emotions • Learn how to think positively and constructively • Manage anxiety through uncertainty • Learn how to keep calm in stressful situations • Avoid getting dragged down by negativity • Maintain an optimistic outlook
Self-care: how to look after your overall wellbeing
Saturday 11 April, 3pm
Prioritise yourself and your overall wellbeing • Fuel yourself well with a healthy and balanced diet • Energise yourself through exercise and relaxation • Recharge your energy by rest and
Neurodiversity Celebration Week
17 – 23 March
Police Mutual GMP exclusive £1,000 prize draw now live
Police Mutual’s latest prize draw will take place on Tuesday 1 April 2025. The draw is exclusive to GMP, meaning that a win is guaranteed for one of the force! The draw is open to all GMP officers and staff and their immediate family
members over the age of 18. Family members include:
• Partners or spouses
• Parents
• Children
• Aunts or uncles
sleep • Learn how to embed and sustain healthy daily habits
You can register for any of the webinars at www.liggywebb.com/wellbeingwebinars-to-support-NHS-and-careworkers/.
Health Assured
Health Assured, GMP’s employee assistance provider, delivers monthly webinars on wellbeing-related themes.
This month’s webinar, on Thursday 20 March, covers ‘managing financial wellbeing’ and aims to demystify personal finance and empower viewers with the knowledge and confidence to make informed money decisions. Learn practical tips to navigate financial choices, understand the principles of smart money management, and leave feeling more equipped to take control of your financial future. You can register to attend the session at https://register.gotowebinar.com/ register/2143359824366327125.
The third week in March marks Neurodiversity Celebration Week, a chance to celebrate and recognise people who are living with developmental and learning disabilities such as dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
The Neurodiversity Celebration Week initiative aims to provide resources for people who are neurodivergent, parents of neurodivergent children, managers of neurodivergent staff and anyone who simply wants to find out more. The team behind the initiative will be delivering a total of 24 webinars between Monday 17 and Friday 21 March, aiming to inspire and educate attendees on a suite of aspects surrounding neurodivergence at work, at school and in our home lives. You can register for any of the webinars, which are all free and open to everyone, at https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/ events.
• Nieces or nephews Terms and conditions apply. Visit: policemutual. co.uk/gmpwinterms Prize draw will take place on 1 April 2025. Prize will be delivered within 48 days of the draw Enter today: Visit: policemutual.co.uk/ gmpwin OR scan the QR code
TELL US YOU’RE HERE:
Book on and off shift to keep yourself and your colleagues safe!
HAVE YOU GOT THE RIGHT GEAR?
Do you have all the tools you need to keep you, your colleagues and the public safe?
LET US KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
Book off via DMS and ControlWorks – failure to do so will put your fellow officers in danger!
ARE YOU RADIO READY FOR YOUR SHIFT?
CHECK | CORRECT | CHARGED
Check your radio for faults.
Make sure you have the correct radio, and it is assigned to Controlworks with the correct ISSI number.
Make sure it is charged. Report radio faults immediately to your district radio custodian.