Cheshire Constabulary hails volunteers throughout week-long celebration

Cheshire Constabulary is shining a light on its volunteers and commending them for their dedication to helping to keep Cheshire safe.

The recognition coincides with Volunteers’ Week 2024 (3 – 9 June) and National Specials Weekend also forming part of the week-long celebration (7 – 9 June).

This year is the 40th year of Volunteers’ Week, and the Constabulary will join thousands of others recognising the contribution volunteers make across the UK.

The contribution of volunteers can sometimes go unrecognised, visible only through the incredible impact of their volunteering. So, to mark the occasion and to say a big thank you to our volunteers, the Constabulary is taking the time during this week to celebrate the Forces Special Constabulary, volunteers, and cadets for their valuable contribution to policing and their dedication to help keep our local communities safe.

From those who give us guidance in audit and scrutiny roles, to those who support our community engagement, and those who support us operationally – their dedication in helping to keep people safe in Cheshire does not go unnoticed.

To say a big thank you, the Constabulary held a celebration evening at HQ on the 4 June for the Forces volunteers to come together and find out more about each other’s roles and hear about all the good work our volunteers do day in and day out.

Over the course of the week, a series of images will be shared across the Force’s social media channels celebrating our volunteers and also highlighting the dedication of our Special Constabulary through a “spotlight feature”. The post will not only shine a light on the role of a special constable - and give them the necessary recognition they deserve - but also inspire members of the public that they could do it too.

Over National Specials Weekend our specials will be out all over the county, helping to keep our communities safe. With specials-led operations targeting royal security, policing Warrington pride, night-time economy support, arrest attempts, patrols, warrants, traffic and licencing.

Assistant Chief Constable, Bill Dutton, said: 

“The contribution our volunteers make is an integral part of making the communities of Cheshire even safer. Cheshire Constabulary is able to achieve more thanks to the ongoing commitment of our volunteers.

"Volunteer week gives us the opportunity to highlight and celebrate the personal sacrifice and contribution of every volunteer from Custody Visitor to Special Constable and the difference they make to our communities.

"Volunteers are able to learn new skills, and some of our Special Constables have recently been successful obtaining response driving and Taser qualifications.  In turn, our volunteers bring experience and expertise from their own professional and personal lives.

"The passion and dedication of our volunteers is inspiring and the constabulary is richer for their contribution.”

Volunteering opportunities with the Constabulary

Special Constabulary:

The Special Constabulary is a force of warranted, uniformed volunteer police officers. Volunteer officers are warranted constables, with all the powers of a regular police officer. Special constables’ integration in the local communities in which they live, work and serve is a further strength, helping to build links between policing and communities. If you are interested in becoming a Special Constable, take a look on our social pages or sign up here:

Special Constable New Recruit - Volunteer Police Officer Opportunities - Cheshire Police (tal.net)

Police Support Volunteer:

Police support volunteers are not warranted police officers and possess no policing powers. They perform a range of supporting tasks and functions which better enable police officers and staff to focus on core duties.

Police Cadet:

Police cadets are young members of the community, aged between 13 - 18, that are involved in a wide range of activities and events. As well as learning about police procedures and the law, cadets also play a vital role in community events, engaging with members of the public and educating them on crime prevention.

To find out more about what volunteer opportunities are available visit: 

Police Volunteers | Cheshire Constabulary