Chief Constable Rod Hansen QPM

Trustee

Rod Hansen joined Gloucestershire Constabulary as Deputy Chief Constable in May 2013 and in May 2017 took over as Chief Constable.

Rod started his career at Avon & Somerset Constabulary more than 30 years ago and during that time has covered a variety of roles from patrol inspector in central Bristol to District Commander for Bath and North East Somerset. Other postings also led to him working on the force surveillance team and reviewing child protection arrangements. He later helped to establish a 10 year Joint Venture Company delivering enabling services to 3 police sector organisations including the Constabulary. As a senior investigator, he has investigated deaths in two other forces and played important roles in serious and organised crime investigations.

Rod has been a hostage negotiator since 1998 and for a number of years was the South West Regional Co-ordinator for negotiating. He was course director for the regional negotiators course and in October 2003 trained negotiators within the Greek police service in preparation for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Rod has also been the Chief Police Advisor to the military Joint Task Force Headquarters (JTFHQ) and part of a multi-agency team of non-military advisors working closely alongside colleagues from the Stabilisation Unit, Department for International Development, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and a variety of volunteer and charitable groups such as the International Red Cross.

His deployments to date include; Somalia to help devise the next phase of the United Nations (AMISOM) plan to bring security to the wider Horn of Africa, the Masai Mara, Kenya, working with Kenyan and Ugandan Rapid Deployment Forces on flood relief, food assistance programmes, malaria and refugee reduction. Rod also assisted in the fast time provision of a UK police capability to assist the British military in extracting British nationals from Libya during the recent fall of the regime. Op Ruman was the largest UK military operations since Afghanistan, and Rod assisted in providing IPRC support following Hurricanes Maria and Irma in the Caribbean, and the subsequent humanitarian crisis.

Rod is also the current National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for aviation and mounted policing.

Rod is particularly passionate about how we use soft power to influence or affect others. Since becoming Gloucestershire’s Chief Constable he has introduced a ground breaking supportive leadership and wellbeing programme which has transformed the culture of the Constabulary from authoritarian command and control to one where soft power and supportive leadership achieves outstanding results. The effect has been described by National academics as ‘astonishing’. It raises self-awareness, self-confidence and a healthy resilience that provides an environment where everyone can thrive.

Chief Fire Officer Neil Odin

Trustee

Neil’s fire service career began in 1991 and he has since served in three services, becoming Assistant Chief Officer (Community Safety) at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service in 2012.

In 2014, as Deputy Chief and Director of Service Delivery, Neil looked after community safety, response and resilience, and was responsible for frontline response, prevention, safe & well visits and community self-help plans. Neil became Chief Fire Officer of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service in January 2018. He has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southampton.

Alongside his role as CFO, Neil is also the UK National Fire Chief’s Council Chairman for the Prevention Committee, supporting fire services across the nation to prevent fires and other emergencies. He is Chairman of the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation (UKRO) which brings together the UK’s rescue services to develop their skills and improve rescue standards and is also a trustee of the Blue Lamp Trust which was established to promote and enhance community safety across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and a Graduate member of the Institution of Fire Engineers.

Most recently, Neil has chaired the Strategic Coordinating Group (SCG) in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ensuring the effective multi-agency response to COVID-19.

The Rt. Hon. The Countess Bathurst

Trustee, Management ComMittee and Grant Applications Panel

Born in Marlborough, Wiltshire in 1965, Lady Bathurst spent her childhood with her elder brother in Lyme Regis, Dorset, after her parents moved to be closer to the family ‘HQ’ in East Devon, when she was still a toddler.

Educated privately, Sara grew up in a patriotic home with old-fashioned values, instilling in her a natural sense of duty and a deeply charitable conscience, as well as a hefty dose of independence.

In her early 20’s, Lady Bathurst travelled to the United States where she settled in Chicago in 1986. She stayed in the US for five years, exploring as much of the country as she could, supporting herself by working in various roles, including a period spent with a top Chicago lawyer.

Her return to the UK in 1991 saw her joining the family business of independent bookshops in the South West as a partner, and she lived for a while back in Lyme Regis running the flagship branch until she met her husband Allen, the then Lord Apsley, in 1993. They married in 1996 when she moved to the Cotswolds – she had always said she wanted to marry a farmer!

Since then, her time has been spent running the house at Cirencester Park, supporting her husband, and involving herself deeply in the Gloucestershire community and beyond.

When her father-in-law, the 8th Earl Bathurst died in 2011, she became the 9th Countess Bathurst and continues in her roles as President and Patron to many local and national charities and associations, including National Vice President to the Royal British Legion Women’s Section.

Amongst her many interests her dogs, the countryside, and farming are especially dear to her.

Lady Bathurst served as High Sheriff of Gloucestershire 2016/17 and was particularly engaged with the Gloucestershire Constabulary and in particular, the Dog Section, which is where her passion now lies.

Lady Bathurst is also a PCC Ambassador for Gloucestershire.

Jane Muller

Trustee, Management Committee and Grant Applications Panel

Richard Hunt

Management ComMittee and Grant Applications Panel

Richard is a police officer with 26 years’ experience with Gloucestershire Constabulary. Richard joined the police aged 22 and spent 8 years on front line response in the Gloucester City area of the county before joining the dog section in 2004 where he was a countywide resource.

Richard has worked three general purpose dogs, two of which have been specially trained to be firearms support dogs working alongside armed officers in high threat related incidents involving weapons. In addition Richard has also worked two proactive drugs, cash and firearms search dogs.

Richard is currently working two dogs, Jango and Bonnie as well as being the lead instructor for the Constabulary and having the responsibility of training officers to handle general purpose, firearms support and proactive search dogs.

Richard is passionate about this charity as he has looked after 3 police dogs within his family home when they retired from their working lives and appreciates the support that this charity will provide to all retired service animals across the country.

Richard is a married father of three children who have all grown up alongside the police dogs who live with them at home, the dogs are very much part of the family and loved by everyone.

Tracey Wysocka

Management Committee and event coordinator

Tracey began her working life serving in the Royal Air Force as an Assistant Air Traffic Controller. She was based in the UK at RAF Shawbury, St. Athan and Brize Norton. After leaving the RAF, she joined Nationwide Building Society as a mortgage advisor but was quickly promoted into various management positions including Head of Direct Sales, Operations Manager and Employee Engagement Manager.

Tracey has always had a great love for dogs and following the sad parting of one of her beloved pets, she decided to leave the corporate life and follow her heart by starting up her own company and gaining qualifications in the field of canine behaviour and training. Tracey has helped many dog owners over the last 11 years understand their dog’s needs, learn how to communicate effectively with them and help them overcome behaviour issues. She focuses much of her energy in simply helping people create a harmonious, mutually respectful and loving relationship with their dogs.

Tracey is married with one son and two black Labrador Retrievers. Lucia is now retired from work while, Dutch, her youngster is in training to become her new ‘picking up’ dog. Tracey spends much of her time with her dogs as she is currently enjoying a well-earned sabbatical.

Patricia Lindsay

Management Committee and Volunteer coordinator

Tricia brings great experience to the management committee after working as Head of Customer Service in the International Division of Orange. Her role involved travelling around the world managing teams, developing policies and ensuring world class customer service was delivered.

Tricia’s passion to ensure that customers, partners, stakeholders and volunteers are well looked after is something she is very excited about bringing to her NFRSA role.

For the past 15 years, Tricia lived on a small holding on the Shropshire/Wales border. Fostering RSPCA ponies was her main hobby for many years, along with two rescues: Poppy, the disabled shetland and Sam, the neglected trotting horse. A passionate supporter of animal charity work, Tricia also supported several small dog rescues, managing social media and fundraising.

Last year Tricia and her husband Derek moved back to the Cotswolds with their crazy dog “Baz” and two rescue cats. Now retired and a keen amateur photographer she loves spending her time entering competitions at the Cirencester Camera Club and volunteering as a magistrate in Wiltshire.

Laura Colquhoun

Management Committee

Laura Colquhoun is a Psychotherapist and Counsellor for individuals and couples and has worked with practices in Harley Street London and the Cotswolds. She has worked for several treatment centres in addiction and has worked on Honorary contract for the NHS and for the RNIB.

Laura has always liked helping people volunteering for other charities including the Terrence Higgins Trust for whom she ran the London Marathon.

Laura is always looking for new ways to learn and grow and improve her knowledge around what makes people tick and has just finished a Post Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching at Henley Business School and is currently working on an MSc in Neuroscience, Psychology and behavioural change.

Laura loves Golden Retrievers, currently she has three and has successfully bred a litter which she still says is ‘one of the best experiences of my life’.

In fact, Laura loves all animals but has a particular fondness for dogs and cats. As well as the three Retrievers she has a one-eyed Jack Russell Shitzu cross and two moggies, they all get on like one big fluffy family.

Laura loves Cirencester and Cirencester Park and all the dogs she meets in there when walking her own. She is also a keen Yogi having learnt when living in India in her twenties and can be found at the gym 4 days a week trying to stay fit!

Laura also Fences (badly) rides (badly) and always up for a new challenge is attempting to learn to fly.

Laura is thrilled and honoured to be part of the NFRSA and to support all our amazing service animals and has loved already meeting some of the amazing police dogs in training and their handlers and is excited to see how her role on the management committee will evolve.

Rod Benson

Grant Applications Panel

Rod Benson is a Veterinary Surgeon with 36 years of clinical experience. He has worked for the last 35 years in a 6 Vet mixed practice, dealing with both farm and companion animals though working primarily with the latter. He holds the CertVR. – a post- graduate qualification in diagnostic imaging covering X Rays and Ultrasound.

A keen footballer until his mid-forties, he has completed two rural marathons. Rod is married with two grown children, a cat and a dog!

Robert Darvill

Grant Applications Panel

Rob always knew he wanted to be a vet. He qualified from Cambridge University in 2008 and spent a year in mixed practice in Bedford before moving to the Cotswolds and joining Benson and Babb in 2009.

Rob is equally happy examining, diagnosing and preventing disease for pets or on farms. Rob especially likes delivering all forms of new life and surgical procedures. Rob really enjoys the relationships he has formed with farmers and pet owners and a joint approach on trying to achieve the best outcomes for the animals in his care. Rob has a much loved cocker spaniel called Ajax, a female cat called Keith and a collection of smaller pets cared for by his children. He is a member of Cirencester baptist church and likes to run, and play squash and tennis in his free time.