The Blue Knights

The Blue Knights is a law enforcement motorcycle club. There are 20,000 members worldwide, and around 600 in the UK and Ireland. Members are serving or retired police, prison or customs officers.

The club is made up of 13 UK chapters, all of whom work tirelessly to support COPS. However the very first to assist us and recognise the importance of the work that we do, was the Blue Knights Scotland 1 chapter. It was during their president's meeting in November 2003, that the group first agreed to support COPS activities where possible. The Blue Knights Scotland 1 chapter has since made COPS the beneficiary of all their fundraising. Scotland 1 President Al Goold said: "Scotland 1 are proud to be associated with COPS, and to be the first Blue Knights in the UK to support them."

Later that same year, at the Blue Knights main UK conference, the remaining 12 UK chapters followed suit and chose to support COPS. Al Goold went on to say "I believe that working together, the UK chapters have the ability to make a difference, and to make a significant contribution towards the fine work of COPS".

The Blue Knights attend the Annual Survivors Weekend each year, and take part in the Law Ride motorcycle procession, where they ride to the National Memorial Arboretum to welcome the survivors, then go back to Lichfield in convoy. Each year attracts hundreds of police bikers to take part in this unique tribute to fallen colleagues. The Blue Knights are always a very impressive sight, and we thank them for all that they continue to do to raise funds on COPS behalf.

You can learn more about the Blue Knights in the United Kingdom and Ireland, by visiting their national web site at www.bkukic.co.uk.

For more information about the Blue Knights Scotland 1 Chapter, visit their web site at www.bkscotland1.co.uk.

BLUE KNIGHTS FUNDRAISING NEWS

The Blue Knights continue to raise funds regularly for COPS, and over the last three years alone, estimate that they have raised more than £25,000. Recent donations have included £1500 from the Walworth Rally, £720 was raised at Leicestershire, and £1130 by those camping at Packington Moor Farm over the course of the 2006 Annual Survivor's Weekend. We have also received £100 from the BK England IV chapter, which was the proceeds from the raffle of a book at one of their weekend meetings in Devon. We have also started to receive income from the sale of the new tartan (see details below).

In 2005 we received £390 from Geoff and Mod at England XI, being the proceeds from their hog roast at the Annual Survivors Weekend in 2005. It is rumoured that Mod sold the left over beer to his colleagues, but surely that can't be true; these rough bikers would never have beer left at the end of a party would they?

On the Saturday night of the same Lichfield weekend in 2005, Alan Morris of Leicestershire Constabulary organised a "Charity Knight" at police headquarters, with the help of his wife Jill. The evening was supported by the Chief Constable and the Federation, and raised the magnificent sum of £1,146.75! Several of the Blue Knights stayed overnight, and rode in procession the next morning to Lichfield, where they joined the Law Ride.

Our good friends at Scotland 1 raised £252.44 at a welly throwing contest at the recent Kirkintilloch police office open day. That is an awful lot of wellies at 10p a throw!

Finally, our grateful thanks to Graham Buxton, Chairman of the Blue Knights UK & Ireland Conference, who has just returned from America where he raffled a police helmet, and raised a very impressive £450.

The picture below shows COPS National President Christine Fulton receiving the cheque mentioned above for £1,146.75.

NEW TARTAN FOR BLUE KNIGHTS BENEFITS COPS

The Blue Knights now have their very own tartan (courtesy of BK Scotland 1 Chapter). This is great news, and even more importantly, we have learned that a percentage of the sales from kilts, trews and other tartan items will be donated to COPS.