Volunteer wins national Lord Ferrers Award for contributing to PFCC’s Independent Custody Visitor scheme work
Posted Thursday 12th December 2024
A volunteer who has contributed over a decade of service to the PFCC’s Independent Custody Visitor (ICV) scheme has won a prestigious national award.
Richard Wicks, ICV Coordinator with the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s Independent Custody Visitor Scheme, was named PFCC Volunteer of the Year Award at the national Lord Ferrers Awards last month. The Lord Ferrers Awards recognise outstanding contributions to volunteering in policing from across the UK and Richard received his award at a ceremony held at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London.
Richard, who lives in Braintree and is known to many as Rich, has been volunteering with the PFCC Essex’s ICV scheme for over a decade. Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) attend police custody suites to check on the treatment and welfare of detainees, the conditions in which they are held and that the rights and entitlements of detainees are being observed. By being open and transparent, the scheme is instrumental in offering protection to detainees and the police, and in providing reassurance to the wider Essex community. Also the scheme helps drive through changes in PACE legislation to better uphold and protect the dignity of detainees, including children, women and the vulnerable members of society.
Katarzyna Grabka, manager of the Essex Independent Custody Visiting Scheme, said: “I could not be prouder of Rich and his achievements. Rich has been an integral part of our service for over a decade, and I’m really pleased to see him being recognised on a national level. Lord Ferrers Awards is a prestigious award and thoroughly deserved.”
Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: “Congratulations to Rich, an outstanding achievement and my personal thanks for a decade of significant and sustained contribution to the PFCC and the residents of Essex. His work is a real demonstration of how volunteering with the PFCC has a huge impact on improving community reassurance and safety in our county.”
If you would like to learn more about the PFCC Independent Custody Visitor Scheme and how to volunteer with the scheme, learn more here: Independent Custody Visiting – Essex Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner