Andy Paget the Senior Force Chaplain with Avon and Somerset Police has been awarded a Lifetime Service Award for his work with the force.
Andy, who has been a chaplain with the police in Avon and Somerset for 27 years, was one of just four winners of the award. He received the honour at the first ever Outstanding Policing Awards.
Introducing Andy, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, Mark Shelford said, “I have witnessed Andy’s work in very difficult conditions, in a very stressful environment where the community was imploding, and Andy was very calm and collected and allowed the police and the community to try and heal.
“His outstanding commitment to his role as the Senior Police Chaplain supporting both colleagues and members of the public through some of the most difficult times—and I’ve witnessed those—has been at all hours of the day and night.”
After receiving his award Andy said, "It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to journey with the officers and staff of the Avon and Somerset Police for 27 years in what was described in my original job description as “a priestly, pastoral and prophetic role”. I’ve seen their commitment and dedication as they’ve engaged in the challenging and often dangerous situations most of us are able and pleased to avoid.
"Perhaps one of the most significant parts of our role as chaplains is to affirm the value of each individual within the organisation and our appreciation of their service to our communities, and to share with them in the triumphs as well as the tragedies."
Andy will step back from the Lead Chaplain role next year, but will continue as Volunteer Chaplain to NPAS, the National Police Air Service, at their Almondsbury base.
Jenny Clark and Adrian Prior-Sankey are among the small Chaplaincy team who support the Force Communications Department which won the Volunteer Team of the Year Award. It was presented by Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Shelford and Assistant Chief Constable Jon Reilly at the Police Headquarters in Portishead. The team have now been nominated for a regional award.
Find out more about police chaplaincy