Officers raise funds for three charities

Officers from the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG), based in Doxey, near Stafford, have raised £600 for charity – thanks to their love of a good snack.

The officers, who police the county’s main arterial routes including the M6, decided to donate funds raised at the tuckshop they run to three charities close to their hearts – DocBike Staffordshire, Staffordshire Retired Police Dog Fund and The Joe Gilligan Trust.

Luke’s Legacy - Docbike Staffordshire, a charity to help protect motorcyclists and their families from future tragedies, received £300. The charity is dedicated to Luke Van De Sande, a Staffordshire Police officer, who sadly lost his life following a motorcycle collision in August 2019.

The Staffordshire Retired Police Dog Fund received £150. The charity was established in 2013 to recognise the contribution made by police dogs and to help raise funds for their ongoing welfare.

The Joe Gilligan Trust, a charity which supports young adults with cancer, received £150. Joe was a talented drummer working toward a career in music when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged 18. He sadly died in 2009 and the charity has raised over £250,000 to support other teenagers fighting cancer.

Sergeant Rob Gilligan, of CMPG, said: “As part of the DocBike crew we shall we buying materials in order to deliver our BikerDown road safety courses next year.

“The Joe Gilligan Trust has been able to make a substantial donation to one of our own CMPG West Midland Police colleagues who has a child family member currently fighting cancer.

“We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to our furry police dog colleagues so these donations really have made a genuine difference to a number charities very close to our policing family here at CMPG.”