Cheshire’s Museum of Policing receives King’s Award for Voluntary Service

The award, which is issued annually on HRH King Charles’ birthday (November 14) is the equivalent of an MBE for volunteer groups, with the volunteers being recognised for their outstanding work and dedication for running the museum itself.

The Museum of Policing in Cheshire is a volunteer-run initiative committed to preserving the history and heritage of policing in our county and sharing it with the community and beyond.

In 2006, a group of retired local police officers presented a proposition to the then Chief Constable of Cheshire Constabulary: to open a small museum in a cell block that stood empty and disused within Warrington’s Arpley Street Station.

The officers were given the go-ahead to give the station, which to this day remains the only Victorian police station within Cheshire that is still in use by officers, its very own museum with the purpose of sharing the history of how policing in our county has progressed since the days of Robert Peel in the 1820s.

Nearly 20 years later, the museum, which is run entirely by volunteers, has grown exponentially, welcomed thousands of visitors from far and wide and now, it has been handed one of the most prestigious awards for voluntary service.

This year, the museum is just one of 231 organisations that have been handed the prestigious award, with the museum’s volunteers being extremely humbled to have been given the award and now looking forward to displaying the accompanying emblem wherever possible.

Chief Constable Mark Roberts, QPM. MSc, BA (Hons), said:

“This is a tremendous and well-earned honour for our incredible volunteers at the museum.

“As well as celebrating the Constabulary’s rich history, the team do incredible work engaging our local communities and bringing the public and the force closer together.  

“We are all honoured that the team has been recognised by the King in this way, and I hope it will highlight the museum to even more people and encourage them to visit.”

Chairman of the Trustees, Chris Upham MBE, BEM, added:

“The museum regularly receives accolades from visitors, but this award is specifically for our volunteers, without whom there would be no museum.

“They are appreciated more than they will ever know, and they are a very happy and committed group of people who I think of as friends.

“I am so pleased that we have received this extremely prestigious award from The King, and I think it is well deserved. We now look forward to the presentation and to displaying the logo on our promotional material.”

Described as Cheshire Constabulary’s ‘jewel in the crown’, the museum is now a firm part of the force’s Community Engagement programme with plans to increase that involvement in the near future.

The museum welcomes thousands of visitors from all over the country through its door every year, with new force recruits, retired senior officers, schools and even ghost hunters taking a trip back in time to see how the county was policed in bygone years. 

A registered charity, the museum is also home to a number of policing artefacts, including vehicles, weapons, and investigative tools used to tackle crime in Cheshire.

Museum Manager, Peter Hampson, said:

“I marvel every day at the work our volunteers put in. They are a great bunch of people, and they make my job as manager very easy.

“I am so proud of them all and of receiving this award, which acknowledges all our efforts as volunteers.”

Long-time volunteer Olive Brererton, who was recently presented with a Constabulary Achieving Cheshire Excellence Award, added:

“It was a great thrill just to be nominated for this award, let alone get one.

“It means the world to a great group of people who have become friends over the years, and as well as working in the museum, we have developed an active social life together.

“So, we are very proud and honoured by this award from His Majesty the King.”

For more information about volunteering at the museum or to arrange a visit, go to their website  https://cheshirepolicemuseum.org.uk or contact the Museum Manager, Peter Hampson, on 01606 365803.