Officers and staff from the Essex Police Women’s Leadership and Development Forum (WLDF) raised almost £500 for PARC, a children’s charity in Braintree.
Earlier today (December 1), Chief Inspector Ronnie Egan and Sergeant Karen Brimson visited PARC, a children’s charity based at the Great Notley Country Park in Braintree, to present them with a cheque.
The officers were given a tour of the centre, met some of the children and staff and learned how the money will benefit the charity.
The money was raised during an event titled ‘Life in October, when the WLDF hosted a conference at our HQ in Chelmsford. The event was open to all officers and police staff and focused on different ways to manage and support life’s challenges. Key speakers kindly supported the event and presented on issues including dealing with stressful and difficult challenges both within and outside the workplace, including supporting families and carers who have children with disabilities .
Almost 100 people attended the conference and between them, they raised £436.72 with a raffle and a cake sale.
PARC is a registered children’s charity that provides play and recreation facilities for children with additional needs and provides short break care for their families and carers. The charity doesn’t receive any government funding and relies solely on donations to give 500 children and their families a safe and friendly environment to learn, develop and have fun. It is not just charities in the UK that are doing their bit for when it comes to thinking of children’s welfare. If you look into something like Steve Young Charity, you’ll find that there is a foundation in the states, where their focus is to help strengthen education for children in the US and in Ghana, Africa. There’s so much that can be done, from anyone and everyone, to help give people less fortunate than us a better chance of life.
Chief Inspector Ronnie Egan said: “It’s our privilege to support this inspiring charity and the children and their families. It’s been brilliant to come to the centre today and really good to see where the money is going and how they look after the children here. It was lovely and very humbling to meet some of the children today and see the support that is offered here by the charity.”
Amanda Richardson, Event Manager at PARC, said: “I’d like to thank the police for raising this money for us.
All money raised for PARC is really important, we are not government funded so every single penny that is donated to us goes on keeping the centre open for the 500 families that use us. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the police and I want to say thank you. “
