BTP Federation reps are in Glasgow for the Federation’s Awards of Excellence and annual conference.
The awards take place this evening (22 September), when the winners of Detective Investigation of the Year, Team of the Year, Cop of the Year, Special of the Year, and the top-secret Chair’s Award will be announced. Colleagues put forward the nominees for all but the final award.
Earlier in the day, the Federation’s Management Board will meet. Chairs and Secretaries from each division gather three times each year to share the issues affecting members and the progress made to resolve them. The Federation’s Health and Safety and Welfare Committees will also meet.
On Wednesday 23 September, General Secretary Ryan Griffiths will open the annual conference by highlighting the non-stop nature of policing the railway and the extraordinary breadth of what BTP officers are asked to deal with.
Topics on the agenda
Federation Chair Stuart Cowan’s speech will highlight officers’ calling to serve the public and how they do so against a backdrop of physical harm (the visible cost), mental harm (the hidden toll) and financial pressure (the unspoken strain). The Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, will deliver a response via pre-recorded video.
Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi will be joined by Tricia Hayes and Hugh Ind, the Chair and CEO, respectively, of the British Transport Police Authority for a Q&A session. This will be followed by the conference's closed session, during which delegates will debate a series of motions and rule changes, particularly on modernising the Federation’s governing document.
The afternoon’s sessions include the launch of a new project to highlight the challenges BTP officers face. A panel of guest speakers will discuss why it is crucial to keep advocating for members, even when it feels like decision-makers aren’t listening.
Finally, we will welcome a very special guest to the stage for a keynote speech on the impact of addiction and how the Federation can support members who are at risk of, or living with, addiction.
We will circulate the reports presented at the conference to members after the event, and they will be available in the members' area of our website. Conference sessions are being recorded again this year and will be available to watch via the Federation website.
With thanks to our sponsors
These events are made possible thanks to the generous support of our headline sponsor, Everywhen, which provides BTP Federation’s Group Insurance Scheme. We are very grateful to JMW Solicitors, Police Friendly and Penningtons Manches Cooper for sponsoring the Awards of Excellence and the annual conference.
Vivo Lifestyle, BluLine, Addept Group Limited, Accord Legal Services Ltd, National Police Healthcare Scheme, George Hay, Ortus Travel Insurance, DJ Talbot and Associates, Uniform Mortgages, Principal Insurance, Police Mutual, Police Mortgages and Serve and Protect Credit Union have kindly supported our 2026 conference.