AN association for retired police officers living in Cyprus is calling for new members to get in touch.
The Cyprus Association of Retired Police Officers (Carpo) was formed a number of years ago and membership is open to any police officer that served anywhere in the world and is now retired and residing in Cyprus.
Current chairman, Steve Tucker, told the Cyprus Mail that the purpose of the association is to raise funds for a different chosen charity each year and to offer both practical and emotional support to ex police officers.
“We have close to one hundred members, but I am sure there are many more retired police living in Cyprus and we would like to hear from them. We have members- both male and female- from all over the island, including the north,” he said.
Although members are predominantly of British origin, other nationalities that have served in the UK and other countries are also members of the association. Each year, four gastronomic ‘get togethers’ are arranged and all of the proceeds go the year’s charity of choice.
“This year it is the Friends’ Hospice in Paphos which I nominated. The events we organise are a great way to expand your social circle and to get to know each other, as well as helping a deserving charity and I would very much like to hear from other retired police officers,” he said.
Tuckers’ wife, Teresa Elliot, has a hospice background in the UK, he said, and both have actively been involved with the Friends hospice in some way for a number of years.
“The hospice was an obvious choice for us to support, and also from being a police officer, although there is an air of authority and its quite official when you put on the uniform, you also have a caring side which is important. This is a way to show it,” he said.
The couple joined the association in 2008 after retiring to Paphos; the initiative had been started a couple of years previously. Teresa is the Carpo Welfare Officer, and offers support to ex officers ‘behind the scenes’ said Tucker.
“We have wheelchairs, crutches and health aids to offer, as well as emotional support when needed,” he said.
The couple has just handed over proceeds from fund raising events to the Friends hospice, a Carpo lunch in September and a sunset cruise raised €910 and a ‘day of health and beauty’ event held at the Ukca, organised by Elliot raised €600.
On Sunday, Tucker will travel to Kyrenia to place a wreath of remembrance at a monument dedicated to fallen police officers that served in Cyprus in the 1960s.
“I know that this can be a sensitive subject with some Cypriot people and I fully understand that, but those who fell on active service in Cyprus should also be remembered.”
Tucker noted that police officers of British and other nationalities died whilst on peace keeping duties on the island.
For further information: (00 357) 97727635
