The first week of June was National Volunteers Week and it seems an ideal time to reflect and remind ourselves of the huge contribution the thousands of volunteers make to the wellbeing of the United Kingdom.
This is certainly the case in Suffolk and particularly when it comes to public safety. We need to really raise the profile of this invaluable contribution, since I firmly believe our county of Suffolk would be in dire straits without this incredible army of willing volunteers.
When we stop and reflect on the enormous range of activity delivered by the voluntary sector and think of what the cost to the taxpayer might be should the state even attempt to take its place – it doesn’t bear thinking about! Frankly, volunteers are worth their weight in gold!
The work of the Suffolk Constabulary is supported by hundreds of volunteers in a wide range of activities. From role play to support police officer training, to volunteers on horseback, cadet leaders to drivers, the force would simply not function as well as it does without them. I must mention the remarkable work Suffolk’s Special Constabulary delivers every day of the year. Special Constables have the same powers as their full-time colleagues, and they all volunteer to keep us safe in addition to their normal civilian employment. Some organisations do give the Specials time off to fulfil their voluntary work – that is greatly appreciated.
It is difficult to put a full monetary value on this, but the data suggests the Constabulary benefits from more than 41,000 hours of work during the year. A rough calculation / estimate may well be worth over £1m annually.
My office also runs another bespoke volunteering scheme – the Independent Custody Visitors - who help me to fulfil my responsibility to ensure policing in Suffolk is carried out fairly, in accordance with relevant legislation and Home Office guidance.
On the outskirts of Bury St Edmunds for example, one of the two Suffolk Police Investigation Centres is located to ‘process’ individuals who have been arrested in the vicinity. It is here people are detained for a short period before being either charged, released without charge or on bail or sometimes detained at His Majesty’s pleasure. During this time, we must remember they have not been prosecuted and therefore have not been found guilty. Every individual is different and often their needs are complex – illness, intoxication, mental ill-heath are not uncommon and our independent custody visitors visit the detainees to ensure they are looked after appropriately and compassionately. In Bury St Edmunds 84 percent of detainees available for such visits meet with the independent volunteers. Their input is undoubtedly one of the reasons our Suffolk Police Investigation Centres have rightly passed all recent inspections with flying colours and are quite rightly recognised as being one of the best facilities nationally. Another accolade for Suffolk!
There are also other voluntary and charitable organisations supported through the PCC’s grant programme. One of the most important of these is the Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue charity (SULSAR) based in Woolpit. I have had the privilege and pleasure to know them for many years during my time as Police and Crime Commissioner and the sterling work carried out countywide available every day of the year is of huge benefit to our county, and it simultaneously saves vast amounts of police time and therefore cost. Over the last decade SULSAR’s capabilities and range of work has expanded considerably, adding drones fitted with thermal imaging cameras, underwater searching and a boat team so larger waterways can now be searched at speed. There is even a kayak team able to search much smaller watercourses.
The funding provided by my office helps SULSAR finance things such as building rental, vehicle running and insurance costs and equipment and clothing, and as part of my commitment when I was re-elected last year, they have a three-year grant agreement. This is crucial so all the volunteers know they have support for an extended period and can make future plans accordingly.
I am sure everyone in our county is very thankful for all the work volunteers do to make our county a better place in which to live, work, travel and invest in and we can recall those famous words from Churchill “We make a living from what we earn, but we make a life from what we give”. If you can volunteer or help in any way Suffolk will be very grateful, so why not give it a go?
Published in Bury Free Press in June 2025