This month’s blog is a guest post from our friends at the National Association of Retired BTP Officers, or NARBTPO.
We’re often asked what support networks exist for colleagues after retirement, so the Chair of NARBTPO, Alan Pacey, has taken the reins of this month’s blog to explain more about the organisation and its plans for the future.
NARBTPO is the acronym for the National Association for Retired British Transport Police Officers. Membership is open to former officers, staff and Special Constables. The Association was formed in 1994 and has been well served by a series of excellent members of the Management Committee over the years. I was elected to be Chairman at the 2025 AGM and feel very privileged to hold this office. I have been, and continue to be, supported by an excellent Committee Team.
Our current team are united in our view that the Association exists for the benefit of our members and that all of our activities should have that in mind. We also accept that for organisations to survive, they need to evolve and grow. Our overall aim is to support the community of retired BTP officers and staff, enhancing their retirement by encouraging continued social engagement, securing commercial benefits for members, and advocating on members’ behalf regarding pensions and travel going forward.
Our specific objectives are outlined on our website www.narbtpo.com. One key objective is to continue to build on our existing relationship with the BTP Federation. Nigel Goodband, a former Chairman of the Federation, has recently joined our Management Committee, which will undoubtedly help with this aim. We hope that in the future, as former colleagues approach retirement, they automatically see joining NARBTPO as a seamless transition following Federation membership.
Membership fee and benefits
The cost is very reasonable at £10.00 per year. We are also affiliated with the police service-wide National Association for Retired Police Officers (NARPO) and can facilitate membership of that organisation at a cost set by them (currently £10.70 per year). We produce a monthly newsletter ‘Retired Lines’ that includes a foreword by the Chief Constable on current force issues, a summary of press items that involve BTP and details of social gatherings and reunions that take place across the country. In addition, there are news items for the Association itself, such as benefits that have been negotiated for members.
One such benefit of membership is the recently negotiated Group Insurance Scheme, which, for colleagues under 70, allows them to retain the benefits they were offered as members of the BTP Federation. We are also currently negotiating with an organisation that the Federation are engaged with, which will offer savings and investment options to our members. We hope that if we grow in numbers as we intend to, further commercial benefits will become available.
“Plugged into pensions”
Another key benefit is that members of our Management Committee are involved at all levels within the BTP Pension Fund and the wider Rail Pensions Oversight Board. Peter Holden has served as a Trustee Director for five years, and John McBride, our Treasurer, is about to be appointed to that role as Peter completes his term of office. Having members of our NARBTPO Management Committee plugged into the wider Rail Pensions Board keeps us fully sighted on matters affecting all our pensions.
John McBride and I also sit on the Management Committee of the British Transport Police Superannuation Fund. This allows us to have some influence over the fund’s operations and to be aware of any challenges that might affect it in the future. An example of this is how our pensions might be affected by the creation of Great British Railways in the future. I should say that, at this stage, in relation to this particular issue, there is no significant news to impart, but when there is, members of our committee will be aware and will be looking out for the interests of our members as far as is possible.
We hold an Annual General Meeting each year, usually in May. All members are invited; it is free to attend and includes a very nice lunch, which, in this day and age, is probably worth more than the £10.00 annual membership fee! Attendance gives members a chance to catch up socially with former colleagues from across the country and to have an input on how the Association progresses. It also allows the wider membership to vote on Management Committee members for the following year. The Chief or Deputy Chief Constable deliver a presentation, and we hear from others about important issues such as pensions, protecting ourselves from cybercrime, an update from the BTP Federation and the work of the BTP History Group.
Future plans
My own role within NARBTPO is to chair our four Management Committee meetings and the AGM each year. In doing so, I aim to ensure that our work is solely concerned with our members' interests. Our Management Committee are all signed up to this ambition, and we are in the process of setting up a number of initiatives to support members better. One of these initiatives is to be more visible at regional social get-togethers and reunions across the country. We also hope to provide some financial support where appropriate and to recruit new members at these events.
Our key ambition for the year ahead is to improve our communications. This, in turn, will help us to grow our numbers and, as a result, have more clout when negotiating commercial benefits for our members. Our website will undergo a further refresh, and the Retired Lines newsletter will also feature additional new items. Our current membership is 680, but we know there are many more retired officers and staff out there who are not members. We see it as a priority to encourage as many of those retirees as possible to join us. We also see it as vitally important that, as members of the BTP Federation approach retirement, they automatically consider joining NARBTPO.
It is very easy to join; you can do so via our website at www.narbtpo.com. Some of our members retired completely at the conclusion of their police service, some commenced a second career, and some work part-time or volunteer in their spare time. Only you can decide what is right for you and your respective families, but I would say that most of the people I speak to are enjoying life after BTP. When the time comes, embrace it; you deserve to enjoy it!
Finally, as I write this blog, I am aware that a serious train crash occurred in the Bedford area on Friday, 19th June, which resulted in several injuries and a fatality. Responding to, managing and investigating such events is extremely challenging and complex. The need for a specialist force for the rail networks is reinforced when such incidents occur, and my thoughts are with all of you who have been involved. I would also like to thank all serving members who are keeping us ‘olduns’ safe as we use the railway system.
Alan Pacey, Chair of NARBTPO
