Information on Loughborough

Charnwood officer wins PCSO of the Year 2009

Posted on 01/12/2009

police,constabulary,leicestershire police Charnwood officer wins PCSO of the Year 2009 PCSO Sian Mapp

PCSO Sian Mapp

A Police Community Support Officer from Charnwood has won Leicestershire Constabulary’s ‘PCSO of the Year’ competition. 

Sian Mapp joined Leicestershire Constabulary in November 2006 and was based in Loughborough Town Centre for a year before transferring to the Sileby, Seagrave and Cossington neighbourhood in March 2008.  She quickly identified that residents in the village thought anti-social behaviour was a problem and that the young people felt they had nowhere to go and nothing to do. 

Sian asked young people what facilities they’d like to see and the overwhelming majority said boxing.  Sian worked with Beat Officer PC Gordon Doudie to look for qualified boxing coaches and found three people affiliated to the Amateur Boxing Association who were willing to give up their time to run a club in the evenings.  In January 2009 a formal committee was formed with the task of finding a suitable venue and, after a few false starts, they found a building on Barrow Road Business Park on Barrow Road in Sileby   The Sileby Boxing Academy (SBA) opened its doors on Monday June 15th 2009 and has gone from strength to strength. 

Inspector Duncan Southall, Commander of Charnwood Local Policing Unit said; “I have always found Sian to be a positive and dedicated PCSO and was massively impressed by her considerable efforts to get the Boxing Academy off the ground especially in light of the setbacks she received in the early stages where others would have simply abandoned the idea.  I often see her turning out, obviously having come into work early, armed with speed detecting equipment to address the issues of HGVs in villages such as Seagrave.  I think the award is a great recognition of her efforts in the role and the positive impact that she has had in community she serves.” 

The North Area Chief Superintendent Daimon Tilley, added; “I am delighted Sian has won this award.  Her commitment and dedication to her community, giving freely of her own time and her sheer persistence to see the boxing project through, is something about which her community and she should be rightly proud.” 

Councillor Andy Shepherdson from Sileby Parish Council is similarly appreciative of her efforts.  He said; “I have been more than impressed with Sian’s efforts with the Sileby Boxing Academy and other community issues.  I am aware she often has to wear 20 hats with a wide range of competing demands on her time but I feel she has been an asset to the village.  A key feature is that the local youths have respect for her, and in turn she works with them not against them.” 

Sian will receive a certificate and a trophy from the Chief Constable at an awards ceremony at Force Headquarters in March 2010. The award has been sponsored by Unison.   She said; “I was very surprised when Chief Superintendent Tilley rang me to tell me I had won and I was quite humbled as well because it is so nice to have your work recognised in this way.  Anybody is capable of doing what I’ve done I was just lucky enough to be given the right opportunity and the right tools to get involved in setting up such an exciting project.”

Three other PCSOs were highly commended; PCSO Vincent Preston from Wigston, PCSO Mark Williamson from Beaumont Leys and PCSO Caroline Perkins from Hinckley.