Summer 2026

Hello and welcome to the latest newsletter I hope that you are all coping with the extreme and very unpleasant heat. I know that I am not coping with it very well I really hope the weather cools down very soon!!.

Its been a busy summer so far in Narpo. We had our Summer Buffet Lunch in June which was a lovely afternoon and we were entertained by the fabulous Jo Farrow Singer who has sang for us a few times and we have booked her again for our Christmas Lunch in December.

The Social events are always popular and we know how much people look forward to them but as you know both Sandie and Maureen step down at the end of the year so we will needpeople to help us organise them if they are to continue.

Members of the committee attended the GMP Forum in July. This is an opportunity for all the Narpo branches in GMP to meet to share issues and discuss relevant matters.

Sandie chairs the meeting and I take the minutes!!

We have also attended a regional Narpo Forum in St Helens for all the North west branches This is a very useful forum for exchange.

The GMP Forum meets three times a year and the Regional Forum twice a year.

I have also attended the AGM for the Ben Fund in June and a board meeting last week.

It keeps me busy!! If you need something to keep you busy then perhaps consider joining us on the committee. Without new help and in particular a new treasurer to take over from Maureen it is hard to see how we can continue as a branch. If any members know of any local Accountants that may manage our finances for us in the absence of someone willing to take on the role of treasurer then please let me know.

We may also have to consider merging with another branch ( if they will have us!!)

Several members of the committee are attending this years Narpo Conference in Torquay on the 10th September. That is usually an interesting experience. I am travelling on the train that is sure to be interesting!!

I am aware that contacting XPS pensions can sometimes be difficult. One or two members have contacted me to relay their experiences and It would be helpful if you have any experience of your dealings with XPS both positive and negative if you wished to share them with me.

Narpo HQ sits on the Pensions board and has regular meetings with XPS and at a local level we have an annual meeting with the Chief Constable who is our pension provider.

I am happy to collate any information and discuss it with Sir Stephen at our next meeting .

As always look after yourselves and those that are important to you.

Take care

Michael

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are managing with all the heat we have been having, at last it has cooled down recently. Our Summer Do went well, and we are looking forward to seeing some of you at the Christmas Lunch on Sunday 20th December.

It will be the last one that Maureen and I arrange, so we are hoping for a good turnout.

So far we have had no offers to take over the Treasurers job from Maureen at the end of the year, so I am asking you again to come and help. We need more people on the Committee, as I will be finishing at the AGM next year and there is no one to take over.

Sadly, if we don’t get more help the Branch will struggle to keep going, and will probably have to merge with another. I am sure you don’t want that to happen, so come on, some of you come along and get involved.

All you have to do is contact one of us and come along to a meeting. You can contact me onChair@manchesternarpo.co.uk or the secretary on manchester@narpo.org Don’t let us down, let’s keep Manchester & District Narpo going strong.

Sandie Wilde MA

Our Christmas Lunch will be held on Sunday 20th December 2026 at the Hough End

Centre.

Tickets are £10.00 for members and their Souses/Partners

and £15.00 for Guests.

Please let Maureen know if you would like tickets.

• This was held at our Summer Buffet in June
• 1st Prize £1000.00 Arnold Beales
• 2nd Prize £500 Bill Petit
• 3rd Prize £250 Laura Lewis

Here are the latest winners of the July 200 Club Draw.

• 1st Prize £350 David Pope
• 2nd Prize £250 Peter Ashworth
• 3rd Prize £150 Martin Flaherty

Tickets are £5.00 each.

To join or for further information please contact Maureen our

Treasurer.

The prizes have recently been increased and we have a £1000 draw at the Summer event and the Christmas Lunch.

The proceeds are also used to fund Wine on the table and the Free Raffle.

Please consider joining if you are not a member or maybe buy another ticket?

Last Wednesday (5th August) I attended the NARPO North West Regional Meeting, where we received an informative presentation from a guest speaker from Police Mutual.

Many members will remember Police Mutual for the old ten-year “Money Spinner” savings products. However, both the world and Police Mutual have moved on considerably since those days.

Today, Police Mutual offers a broad range of financial, healthcare and wellbeing services designed specifically to support serving and retired police officers, police staff and their families.

These services include savings products, insurance, healthcare schemes, mortgages, loans anda variety of wellbeing resources.

Members who would like to explore the full range of services can visit the Police Mutual website at: www.policemutual.co.uk.

The Police Mutual Wellbeing Hub

One aspect of Police Mutual that I was particularly impressed by was its Wellbeing Hub. This online resource contains a wide range of guides covering physical, mental, financial and social wellbeing, with topics ranging from healthy ageing, dementia awareness and carers’ support to financial wellbeing, resilience, loneliness and maintaining social connections.

As retired officers and staff, many of us face new challenges in retirement, and the Hub provides practical, easy-to-read information that can help us, our partners and our families navigate those challenges with confidence.

The resources are updated regularly throughout the year and are designed to help members remain healthy, informed, connected and resilient.

Care Line and Wellbeing Support

One area highlighted during the presentation was Police Mutual’s Care Line service, provided by Health Assured. The service provides serving and retired police officers, police staff and their family members with access to a confidential support line and wellbeing resources 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Assistance is available for a wide range of issues including:

• Work and retirement-related challenges
• Mental and physical health concerns
• Family and relationship difficulties
• Legal matters and concerns
• Debt and financial worries
• Bereavement and loss

Where appropriate, callers can speak with trained counsellors and may be referred to specialist advisers or counselling support.

The Wisdom Wellbeing App

A key component of the Care Line service is the Wisdom Wellbeing App, which provides easy access to a wealth of information, resources and practical wellbeing tools.

Features include:

• Four-week wellbeing programmes designed to promote positive lifestyle changes
• Mood tracking tools to help identify patterns and potential stress triggers
• Access to discounts and offers through the Bright Exchange platform
• Sleep improvement support and healthy habit-building programmes
• Mental wellbeing assessments and health checks
• Guided meditation and breathing exercises
• Fitness and health tracking tools

Information and resources covering mental wellbeing, financial matters, social support and legal issues The app is designed to help users build healthy habits, better manage life’s pressures and improve their overall wellbeing.

A Personal Recommendation

Having seen a demonstration of the app at the Regional Meeting, I was impressed by the breadth of support available. Many of us may never need some of the services offered, but knowing that confidential help and guidance is available 24 hours a day for ourselves and our families provides valuable peace of mind.As NARPO members, we have spent many years looking after others. Sometimes we forget the importance of looking after ourselves.

The Wisdom Wellbeing App is not simply there for times of crisis. It is a practical resource that can help us monitor our wellbeing, develop healthier habits and access professional support whenever it may be needed.

Whether your interest is improving sleep, managing stress, maintaining fitness or simply knowing where to turn for advice, there is something in the app for everyone.

Download the App Today

The app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

To register, use the Police Mutual Care Line access code: MHA107477

I would encourage all members to take a few minutes to download the app and explore what is available.

You may never need all of its services, but if you, your partner or a family member ever require support, having these resources readily available could prove invaluable.

Why not download the Wisdom Wellbeing App today, explore the Police Mutual Wellbeing Hub and discover the support available to you and your family?

Click on the Blue Button Below for more details on the App.

Affinity scheme for retired public employees.

One of our members Alan Burgess has asked me to share the below information that you may find of interest and useful.

I recently visited Threeways Garage, Abergele they are Hyundai and MG dealers.I was told by a salesman that they have an affinity scheme for current and retired public employees, including Police officers.

They offer a discount on the retail price of new MG and Hyundai vehicles.

For example an MG ZS Trophy car is offered at £5,000 discount around £21,000 a really good price for this car.

I thought I would let you know so that if you felt it prudent you could include it in a news letter.I have had an email from Garry Rogers who says that the above book which he has written will be available in an Audio Version from the Autumn of this year.

Career profiles.

You may find that it is a good idea to prepare a career profile to be used in the fullness of time.

It may save your family and loved ones a task at an important time and is one less thing to worry about. You may like to add a photograph as well.

Just send it to me and I will store it in the Branch files. They are very useful. I am often contacted when sadly a member passes away and asked ” is that the same (name) as the one I worked with at (Police Station) all those years ago.” Sadly I cannot often help as that information is not recorded. We have 1600 members and less than 100 career profiles.

Keeping things up to date.

I am just reminding you please to let me know if any of your contact details have changed.

I don’t want you to miss out on Narpo circulations and the Narpo news magazine.

Just let me know if you have moved or changed any of your contact details including your Email address and I will update the Narpo Database.

• Malcolm Renwick
• Michael Gordon Lees
• Leslie Collins
• Beryl Maria Hall
• Ian Wright
• Stephen Davies
• John Stuart Thorburn

As you know your Police pension paid by GMP is administered by XPS Pensions.

Here is a link to their website My Own Pension – Home

This is where you can check your details and see pension slips /P60 etc.

If you haven’t created an account it may be worth doing. It does make it easier to keep your details up to date and can save time hanging on the telephone!!

Tel 03300545491I am aware that some members have had some difficulty in contacting XPS and have waited a long time for replies to emails. If you wish to share details of your experience I can collate them and when when we have our Annual meeting with the Chief Constable we can ensure he is aware of the poor performance of XPS.

The GMP Sports and Social Club has a new and updated website. Here is the link to access it:

Home | The Hough End Centre

If you wish to check the Lottery winners please use this link:

• gmpssc.secureinter.net/lottery/winners.php