Community champions recognised at PCC Awards
The head of a charity supporting deaf and deafblind women is among the community champions to win an award from Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden.
A volunteer organisation helping people stay safe in the city centre at night, and the leader of a project allowing young people to have a voice in policing and crime prevention, were also recognised at the PCC Awards on Thursday.
They were handed out as part of a wider annual Force Awards ceremony recognising policing heroes, held at Nottinghamshire Police and Fire Service joint HQ, with proud families and VIP guests in attendance.
Chief Constable Steve Cooper opened the ceremony and paid tribute to those receiving recognition, hailing their commitment to serving with pride, compassion and integrity.
PCC Godden and his office, including the Violence Reduction Partnership, work with dozens of partner agencies, such as local authorities, criminal justice partners, charities and voluntary and community organisations to create safer communities.
The PCC Awards are in recognition of some of the outstanding work carried out by some of these partners to support the PCC’s work.
The winners included:
Vulnerability Champion: Teresa Waldron
Teresa has been CEO of Deaf-initely Women since its inception in 2019. Deaf-initely Women is unique in that it provides gender specific support to women who are Deaf and Deafblind.
Under Teresa’s leadership Deaf-initely Women has grown from a start up to a financially resilient organisation and the PCC has recently agreed new funding for Deaf-initely Women to enable them to provide Independent Sexual Violence Advocates (ISVAs) as well as Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVA) support for two years.
Young Futures: Kelese Hyacinth
Kelese, Project Manager, Leaders Unlocked – has won the Young Futures Award for driving forward the work of the Nottinghamshire Youth Commission, which provides a forum for young people aged 14 to 25 to provide independent advice, scrutiny and support in delivering the objectives of the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Plan. It also provides a mechanism to seek the views of young people from across the police force area on important matters relating to policing and crime prevention.
Her work not only equips members of the commission with invaluable experience but also enhances the broader experience of young people across the Nottinghamshire system, gathering their views and applying their feedback.
Community Cohesion and Public Service: Nottingham Street Pastors
Nottingham Street Pastors is a project set up by the Malt Cross Trust in 2010 as a multi-church response to urban night-time problems with the aim to improve Nottingham’s nightlife.
It is a volunteer-based initiative committed to enhancing public safety and supporting vulnerable individuals in Nottingham’s night-time economy.
PCC Godden said: "As PCC it is one of my key duties to bring community partners together to play a part in enhancing public safety.
"The PCC Awards are my way of recognising some of the outstanding contributions of our partners in supporting our ongoing efforts to create a safer Nottinghamshire for all.
"We work with a whole host of great community organisations, including charities, voluntary sector organisations, and public services and they all do an amazing job. Any one of them would have been worthy of an award.
"Our winners were two individuals and a community project who shone out in the nominations for putting their heart and soul into the work they do, supporting our most vulnerable people, helping young people aspire to great things, and going above and beyond to create more cohesive communities and put other people's safety first."
The outstanding achievements of police officers and staff were also recognised during the Force Awards.
The 2026 winners included:
Certificate of Sustained Excellence: Alison Cotton
Alison has dedicated 31 years of outstanding and unwavering service to Nottinghamshire Police. Her role of organising diaries, briefing colleagues before meetings, and managing various correspondence has been a lifeline for decades of divisional commanders and heads of departments.
Outstanding Achievement or Contribution Award: Francis Meylan
Nationally, Francis chairs the National Police Chief’s Council Manual of Guidance for Drink and Drug Driving group, where he played a pivotal role in the design and maintenance of the forms used to conduct evidential and observational tests to support convictions for offenders. With 44 years’ service, Francis continues to use his knowledge to educate other officers, help bring offenders to justice, and ultimately protect victims.
Team of the Year Internet: Child Exploitation Team
Beyond their investigative work, the team has gone beyond enforcement to deliver proactive safeguarding advice by creating education packs in collaboration with local authorities and education providers to equip young people with the knowledge to protect themselves and prevent future offending. Individually, members of this team have been recognised for their outstanding work, but every achievement is underpinned by the entire team’s collective strength, shared purpose, and unwavering commitment to protecting children.
PCSO of the Year: PCSO Lucy Oram
Lucy is a long-serving PCSO who is incredibly passionate about engaging with the community and young people. Over the years she has done a considerable amount of work to build strong bonds with multi-agencies, schools, and local service providers to aid in her work to build lasting and positive relationships between young people and the police.
Officer of the Year: PC Simon Travell
Simon is widely recognised as the font of all knowledge in relation to football policing, and has built strong, professional relationships with Nottingham Forest Football Club to ensure the safety and security of fans, staff, and the wider community. His expertise and specialist knowledge have seen him named as the dedicated football officer for the UEFA Europa League where he worked alongside foreign police in the likes of Spain, Austria and the Netherlands to manage crowds, prevent disorder and ensure the safety of thousands who were travelling.
Staff Members of the Year: Keith Morris and Richard Warsop
Keith has dedicated nearly four decades of exemplary service to Nottinghamshire Police, starting as a network engineer before progressing to lead the networks team and oversee all Information Services networking operations including ANPR. Richard has also dedicated four decades of service to Nottinghamshire Police, starting his career as a police officer before spending the last five years as the force's ANPR manager in the Intelligence Unit.
Investigator of the Year: Detective Constable Robert McGhee
Robert has continuously taken a victim and evidence led approach to a number of unique and lengthy investigations. He has shown a natural ability to think outside of the box to help an investigation progress and deliver justice for victims and their families.
Investigation of the Year: Operation Amidala
Operation Amidala was an incredibly complex county lines investigation which dismantled an industrial-scale Class A drug supply network. The investigation led to 12 offenders receiving a combined 130 years of imprisonment which would not have been possible without the team’s tireless dedication and relentless efforts.
Christopher McDonald Police Cadet of the Year: Cole Mason
Cole has gone above and beyond what is expected of him as a cadet.
Ged Walker Award: PC Marta Bugajska, PC William Harbot and PC John Bridgewater
All three officers have been chosen for this award after responding to a highly volatile and escalating incident involving a large-scale street fight with around 80 individuals. These officers were the first to arrive on scene with no other units available, and despite being vastly outnumbered and facing significant risk of harm, they acted without hesitation to deescalate a potentially catastrophic situation.
Coroner’s Award: Detective Constable Sarah Kirk
Presented by His Majesty’s Coroner for Nottinghamshire, Mairin Casey, DC Kirk was presented with this award for the wonderful support that she gave to the Coroner during a very difficult investigation in relation to the death of a prisoner.
Sports and Social Club’s Sports Person of the Year Award: Joshua Codd
Joshua has been a key figure in Nottinghamshire Police’s Rugby Football Club, featuring in every match during their unbeaten 2024-25 season. It is clear how much he values the sport and the benefits it brings to police officers both on and off the field, and he is a shining example of hard work, selflessness, and sporting excellence.
Chief Constable Steve Cooper said: "Our annual Force Awards evening is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the fabulous work of those who have gone beyond expectations and made a remarkable difference through their work.
“We heard numerous stories of bravery, commitment, compassion, and integrity from across the organisation and is so important that we recognise these individuals for their exceptional actions and dedication to Nottinghamshire Police and the communities we serve.
"Every day, our officers and staff face complexity and challenge, yet they continue to show humanity, integrity, and resilience. The work highlighted in these awards demonstrates the commitment and diligence of our workforce and showcases some of the great work we’re doing as a force.
"My warmest congratulations to all those recognised. They should all be proud of their achievements and the difference they have made to our communities."