The Blue Lamp Foundation has united with other police charities to improve access for officers and their loved ones.

More than 20 organisations attended the Police Charities UK launch, signalling their commitment to work in partnership and share best practice, experience and resources to provide the best support possible to the wider policing ‘family’.

A new website was also unveiled: www.policecharitiesuk.org, which will signpost those in need to the correct organisation.

Blue Lamp Chairman Peter Sweeney signed the Police Charities UK pledge on behalf of the Foundation.

National Police Chaplain, Revd Canon David Wilbraham, said: “Unfortunately, given the nature of policing, sometimes things go wrong. Police officers get injured or are sadly sometimes killed in the line of duty. There are several excellent organisations providing specialist help and treatment and others who are there to pick up the pieces for families when officers are tragically killed. But sometimes it can be confusing knowing where to turn. Today is the start of a new joined up approach which will hopefully make it easier to access the services of various police charities.

“We have also included the Northern Irish, Welsh and Scottish charities because there are no borders in the policing family and there have always been historical ties between the countries and our respective police forces.”

Also attending the event was the Director General of Crime, Policing and Fire Group Paul Lincoln who spoke of the Home Office’s support for the initiative.

Policing and Fire Minister Brandon Lewis said: “Police charities play an incredibly important role in caring, rehabilitating and supporting police officers, staff and their families. Police Charities UK will help organisations across the voluntary sector work more collaboratively and further improve the valuable services they provide.

“Police officers put themselves in harm’s way to keep our communities safe on behalf of the public and in sad and tragic circumstances we must make sure they and their families receive support when they need it most.”

PFEW Chair Steve White said: “The charities involved will remain separate entities in their own right but in a sector with busy and varied demands, we identified a need to forge stronger relations between those carrying out this important work. Working together in this way will enable charities to identify common goals, avoid duplication and maximise resources at a time when budgets are increasingly constrained.”