Chief Constable donates £25,000 to closely supported causes

Ahead of his retirement, Chief Constable Mark Roberts has donated £25,000 to two organisations closely supported by the Constabulary.

After 33-years of service, Chief Constable Mark Roberts is set to retire on Thursday 5th November.

Ahead of this, the Chief Constable has reached out to the South Cheshire Amateur Boxing Club and the Museum of Policing in Cheshire, two organisations he has closely supported during his time in Cheshire, and awarded them with a share of £25,000 to support their efforts into 2027.

The funds come from the Police Property Fund. The fund is generated from money raised through the sale of eligible property which has come into police possession and is then put directly back into our communities to benefit residents and local organisations.

Founded by Head Coach Nathan Clarke in 2012 and supported by the efforts of Trustee and Assistant Head Coach DI Christian Morris, South Cheshire Amateur Boxing Club has played in active role in helping to reduce anti-social behaviour in Crewe through providing a safe space for young people to enjoy the benefits of exercise and learn new skills and discipline.

The Constabulary has been a long-time supporter of South Cheshire ABC since its conception, with the Chief attending the ground-breaking ceremony of the new site and a number of members of the Constabulary making use of its facilities.

On Friday 30th October, Chief Constable Roberts called founder Nathan to Police Headquarters and surprised him with a £20,000 cheque.

Chief Constable Mark Roberts said:

“I am a firm believer that we should always support local initiatives, especially when those behind them put so much effort into providing and maintaining safe spaces where members of our communities, and young people in particular, can come together, develop new skills and meet new people.

“I have seen the marvellous work of the club’s team of volunteers first hand, and it is clear its presence has had an overwhelmingly positive effect in Crewe. It is so important we do everything we can to support these incredible people and the commitment they show in supporting their community.

"However, great projects like these cannot be run for free. With that in mind, I am really pleased to be able to present the team with this cheque for £20,000 as a contribution to this great club and to help see them into the next year.”

The Chief also surprised volunteers at the Museum of Policing in Cheshire with a cheque for £5000 during a retirement celebration at the Museum in Warrington.

The donation will go toward restoration of a pastel sketch drawing in approximately 1887, depicting a historic scene on Buttermarket Street, Warrington. The artwork also shows the Chief Constable of the Warrington Borough Police, Samuel Hunt Esq, in the foreground.

The piece of artwork now hangs proudly outside of the Museum in Charles Stuart House, with the funding also contributing to the purchasing of a new specialist frame to prevent light damage.

Chief Constable Roberts added:

"This £5000 donation is just a small gesture of thanks that further recognises the amount of effort the team of volunteers at the Museum of Policing in Cheshire put into the promotion of the Constabulary.

“I have said on numerous occasions that the Museum is the jewel in the crown of this force, and I have been proud to watch them go from strength to strength during my time with the Constabulary. It has gone from a small passion project set up by a group of retired former officers, to a Kings Award winning registered charity, and I could not be more pleased for their successes.

"The team at the Museum dedicate their own time welcoming visitors from all corners of the country through their doors, maintaining the exhibits on display and planning educational visits for all ages – their commitment is the key to the Museum’s continued success.

"This near 140-year-old sketch, which is now proudly on display opposite the Tardis that transports attendees back in time to the days of policing past, is part of the Constabulary's rich history and should rightly be preserved for future generations to see."

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 - The King's Award.