This article was published on Thu 05 Nov 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

Police Mutual will be standing with the rest of the UK to mark Remembrance Day and to show our thanks to those who risked, and continue to risk their lives for us.

Annual Remembrance Sunday services, parades and events may be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic disappointing many people, but the key part of Remembrance is taking a moment to recognise those who have given their lives protecting this country.

History of the Royal Legion:

Formed on 15 May 1921, the British Legion has been supporting Service men and women, ex-serving personnel and their families. They bring together four national organisations of ex-Servicemen that had established themselves after the First World War:

• The National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers
• The British National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers
• The Comrades of The Great War
• The Officers Association

Remembrance honours those who serve to defend our democratic freedoms and way of life. We unite across faiths, cultures and backgrounds to remember the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces community from Britain and the Commonwealth.

In 2020, we pay tribute to all the men and women who served and sacrificed their lives and to those continuing to fight today, to defend our nation. We remember the cooperation of the Commonwealth and Allied nations who stood shoulder to shoulder, to secure our freedom and to bring communities together today, to protect us all.

History of the poppy:

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, who fought in WW1, shortly after losing a friend in Ypres 1915, wrote his now famous poem after being moved from seeing poppies growing through the battle-scarred fields.

In Flanders’ Fields – John McCrae:

In Flanders’ fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders’ fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

The poem inspired an American academic named Moina Michael to adopt the poppy in memory of those who had fallen in the war. She campaigned to get it adopted as an official symbol of Remembrance. The red poppy symbolises both Remembrance and also hope for a peaceful future – which we continue to do. 

This article was published on Thu 01 Oct 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

The first round of on-line Financial Education mini-modules that we provided exclusively for our Force Authorised Officers (FAOs) and Authorised Officers (AOs), is now complete.

We ran 16 events in total throughout August and September and these were well attended by FAOs and AOs from all over the UK.
The event subjects were:

• Wellbeing Services from Police Mutual
• Effective Cash Management
• Managing Debt and Credit Scores
• Protection, Wills and Estate Planning

We ran a short survey after each event and the comments were really encouraging and included:

“Very helpful to know what services are available to signpost our members when future enquiries are received”

“Immediately after the workshop I engaged our Wellbeing and Mental Health lead directly to tap into the resources and include in future planning”

“Will share what Police Mutual can offer with my colleagues
A really useful overview. “

“The Health Assured app was new to me and again very useful Good to have an understanding of which debt to clear first “

“Very good idea to keep us all informed and reminded of what is available to our members. A very informative 30 minutes well delivered by Faye”

“It was great to meet you and put some faces to names. We hope to see you again soon as we will be running some of these modules again and we are also developing some new modules which should be ready soon.”

This article was published on Sun 24 May 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

We are naturally doing everything we can to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues and, at the same time, focusing on maintaining the service we provide to you, our Members and customers. Read more information on how we will be supporting you directly.

Guidance for the Police family

As frontline officers and staff, you are playing a critical role in the response to this crisis, it is therefore even more important for you to say fit and well and to look after all areas of your health during this difficult time.

For Police specific guidance, take a look at the links below:

• Oscar Kilo Coronavirus Hub
• Police Federation
• Guidance to First Responders

Physical health

Research shows that being sedentary is bad for your health, so ensure you keep active at home. Exercise helps both your physical and mental health, if you can go outside, go for a regular walk or do some online exercise classes.

Think about what you’re eating and where possible eat a balanced diet. Whilst food supplies may be limited, think ahead and plan your meals.

Limit your alcohol intake. In uncertain times like these it can be tempting to reach for a bottle to cope with the boredom and uncertainty but alcohol impacts your immunity and reduces your body’s ability to fight off disease.

Mental health

During this time, you may be bored, frustrated or lonely. You may also feel low, worried, anxious, or be concerned about your health or that of those close to you.

Everyone reacts differently to events and changes in the way that we think, feel and behave vary between different people and over time. It’s important that you take care of your mind as well as your body.

Tips to help if you’re worried about coronavirus:

• Keep a routine
• Maintain social contact by text, Skype or phone
• Avoid family arguments
• Plan ahead
• Don’t watch too much news
• Manage your fears

Looking after your finances

As the outbreak continues to take its toll on life and the economy you may be worrying about what the financial impact is for you or your family members.

For tips on keeping your finances in check during this time, see our guide in the useful resources section.

As always we’re here to help, visit policemutual.co.uk, call 01543 441 630

This article was published on Thur 07 May 2020. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

VE Day marks the day when fighting against Nazi Germany in Europe ceased and World War 2 came to an end – on 8^th May 1945.

Under normal circumstances, this would be a time when we would come together to reflect upon and celebrate the sacrifices made by so many people during the war. Not just the millions of soldiers, but the men and women who worked in the factories and mines, as well as Police Officers, nurses, and many more.

This year is the 75^th anniversary of VE Day and there were lots of special celebrations planned to take place. The government had moved the traditional May Bank Holiday so that it falls on Friday 8^th May. Pubs were to be allowed to stay open later, and people across the country were encouraged to throw street parties. There was also going to be a flyover of Buckingham Palace by the Red Arrows.

However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, plans for VE Day celebrations have been postponed until a later date.

Instead, organisers are encouraging everyone to take part in The Nation’s Toast – raising a glass on Friday 8^th May at 3pm and making the following toast: To those who gave so much, we thank you.

We will certainly be taking part, paying tribute to the millions both home and abroad who gave so much to ensure the freedom we all enjoy today.

This article was published on Tue 05 Nov 2019. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

The Royal British Legion has been supporting Service men and women, ex-serving personnel and their families since 1921 and brought together four national organisations that had established themselves after the First World War.  These were:

• The National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers
• The British National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers
• The Comrades of The Great War
• The Officers’ Association

The red poppy symbolises both Remembrance and also hope for a peaceful future. People wear poppies to show support of the Armed Forces community.

Wearing a poppy is not compulsory and is a very personal choice and reflects your own experience and personal memories.

What is the inspiration and history behind the poppy becoming a symbol of Remembrance?

During the WW1, the countryside in Western Europe was bombed considerably and stunning landscapes were turned into bleak, muddy and barren fields where very little flora or fauna could grow. 

However there was an exception to this, the bright red Flanders poppies. The poppies were so resilient they flourished and grew in vast amounts.

In the Spring of 1915, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was so moved by seeing the poppies that he wrote the now famous poem ‘In Flanders Fields’.

In Flanders Fields
The poem by John McCrae

In Flanders’ fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders’ fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high,
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders’ Fields.

This article was published on Wed 01 Aug 2018. At the time of publishing, this article was true and accurate, however, over time this may have changed. Some links may no longer work. If you have any concerns about this please contact us

NARPO are one of our most trusted partners and we value being mutually supportive of each other’s members and organisations.

“Improving the lives of members” is a simple thing to say, and it’s the reason Police Mutual exists. It’s something we’ve been doing for serving and retired Police Officers, Staff, Specials and their families, as well as the wider Police Service since 1866.

In order to ensure we bring this purpose to life for retired Police Officers we are dedicated to supporting NARPO and its membership.

We have worked closely with NARPO to tailor our products for their members.

We provide services and support to NARPO that spans respite care, community support funding such as Force for Good, and Care Line, a nurse led counselling service.

For those with financial questions and challenges we’ve team up with PayPlan who offer a debt advice service. We also make sure we recognise the great work carers do with our Act of Kindness scheme, offering a hamper of treats or a fresh bouquet of flowers as a humble “thank you”.

To continue our support of NARPO and their three themes of ‘Life, Leisure and Work’, we are currently enhancing our Retirement Centre to incorporate more NARPO features. We’ve worked in collaboration with NARPO to curate knowledge and information we trust will be valued by our members.

Check out our Retirement Centre here.