Me and Sarah will be running the Great Manchester 10k run on Sunday 19th of May 2019, we are running in aid of the Charity Police Care UK.

Police Care UK provide practical, emotional and financial support for serving and former police officers, staff and volunteers that suffer from harm as a result of their policing role that is impartial and confidential.

I have been a serving police officer with Greater Manchester Police for 12 years, it is a job I feel is my calling, and one I am very proud of doing. However after several years of suffering repeated trauma at work I became very unwell eventually being diagnosed with PTSD following responding to the Manchester Arena attack. I continued to work and tried to carry on as normal but the stress became too much making it impossible for me to carry on, my illness took me to a very dark place where I required specialist treatment.

Through Greater Manchester Police they contacted Police Care UK, Police Care UK then provided the funding for private treatment at a specialist facility on the 5th of October 2018. I spent several weeks as an inpatient where I received excellent treatment and care, after being discharged I was provided with fantastic after care along with the never ending and amazing support I received from my partner Sarah. The treatment has been life changing, it has helped me recover to the extent that I am now able to return to the job I love.

Without the support from Police Care UK I simply would not have received the quality of treatment and care that I did, it has saved my life. My situation is far from unique, there are thousands of brave men and women up and down the country serving as police officers and staff, many of them will suffer both physical and emotional injuries on a daily basis, and some have and will pay the ultimate sacrifice and give their lives doing this job.

Please donate anything you can to support this amazing charity, help them support more officers and their families receive the help and care they so desperately need during the darkest times.

Thank you,

Leon & Sarah