Off-duty police cook hot meals for vulnerable children

Off-duty police officers volunteered their time to cook up hot meals for vulnerable children as part of a community charity initiative. 

Authorised firearms officers and dog handlers worked together during their team-building day to make 80 portions of fresh vegetarian burritos and chips which were then served up to youngsters currently taking part in activities during the school holidays who would usually be entitled to free school meals. 

The food was prepared at the Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara in Lenton, a place of worship for Sikhs, and was provided thanks to a joint ‘Holiday, Activity, and Food’ (HAF) project involving Guru Nanak’s Mission charity and funded by the Nottingham Forest Community Trust. 

Firearms officer sergeant Harvinder Bhaker, who is also trustee for Guru Nanak’s Mission, was among those who took part in Tuesday’s charity initiative. 

He said: “We thought it would be a great team-building exercise to do something like this. It was a real team effort on the day and just to be able to show the human side of our armed officers was a big positive for us. 

“The respect shown by our officers coming into the Gurdwara and learning about the Sikh religion has been brilliant.” 

Sergeant Dan Machin, of the Armed Policing Team, added: “It’s a really good project and providing a hot meal for disadvantaged kids in the city during the school holidays also takes a bit of the load off their parents too. 

“As a team we pulled together preparing all the vegetables and cooking everything and I think we produced quite a decent meal. There were lots of different tasks for us to do, including plenty of washing up! 

“It was a show of unity and it’s nice to be able to go out in the community, come together, get involved, and make a difference. It’s been good fun.” 

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Dickson, of Nottinghamshire Police’s Operational Support department, which includes armed policing and dogs among its sections, said: “It’s great to see our team members giving their own free time to link in with the community they serve and support such an excellent project. 

“Engagement days such as this one are so important to us as a service. Not only do they help to build trust and confidence, but they also show our diverse communities that, as police officers, we are there for them.”