Championing an emergency cause

Last year Det Con Tina Athwal became Warwickshire Police’s champion for the Blue Lamp Foundation, a charity set up by the late Pc David Rathband after he was shot while trying to stop Moat from killing others in Rothbury three years ago.

The foundation provides emergency financial aid to members of the three emergency services who have been injured in the line of duty.

Det Con Athwal, who has a sister who is also a police officer and another who is a paramedic married to a fireman, said: “When I came across the charity, I felt I needed to promote it. After Pc Rathband was shot, he realised the shortcomings in the support we can get.”

She has now organised her first fundraising events - and she and colleagues were out promoting them in south Warwickshire last Friday. A group of seven police officers are climbing Snowdon in Wales in March, while ten are taking part in the Wolf Run ‘wild running’ event in Offchurch in April.

Det Con Athwal said: “We are hoping to organise more events and get a team in the London Marathon and local events like the Two Castles 10k.

“It’s a really worthwhile charity - the more people know about it, the more they will want to support it.”

To sponsor the groups, visit www.justgiving.com/thethick
blueline and to find out more about the charity, visit www.bluelamp-foundation.org