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It has been a delight to see chaplains from across the UK policing family once again recognised in HM King Charles III’s honours. Chaplains are motivated by their faith to serve officers, staff, and volunteers of all faiths and none, and each person honoured exemplifies the steady, often unseen pastoral care that policing quietly relies on.
This year’s honours include three chaplains whose long‑term dedication has shaped the wellbeing of the people they walk alongside.
Dudley Martin, Lead Chaplain with West Yorkshire Police, has received the British Empire Medal. Dudley became a police chaplain in 2012 after a 30‑year policing career. Since then, he has given more than 11,000 hours of voluntary service, developing a team of over 26 chaplains who support colleagues through bereavement, trauma, financial hardship and the everyday pressures of police work. Those who work with him speak of his humility and compassion and of the way he has kept chaplaincy rooted as a trusted source of care within the force.
Alice Potter, a volunteer police chaplain with Surrey Police, has also been awarded the British Empire Medal. Alice’s recognition reflects her service both to policing and to the wider community in Surrey. Her work demonstrates the simple but steady presence chaplains bring — offering time, attention, and grounded pastoral support wherever it’s needed.
Liam Johnston, Executive Director of the Railway Mission and long‑serving lead chaplain within the rail industry, has been awarded the MBE. Liam has spent 25 years supporting railway staff and British Transport Police, often in the wake of serious incidents. Under his leadership, a UK‑wide team of chaplains provides 24/7 pastoral care across the rail network. Research has estimated that his work generates significant social value, but what colleagues emphasise most is his presence during moments of crisis — including national tragedies where both rail staff and BTP officers have needed steady support. His honour reflects not only personal dedication but the wider commitment of a chaplaincy team who stand with people at their most vulnerable.
Recently Police Chaplaincy UK launched the Gold Standards for chaplaincy, helping us speak with a shared language about what chaplaincy is, why it exists, and how it serves both policing and the communities around it. These honours affirm what many already know: police chaplaincy isn’t “the religious for the religious”, but people who are deeply rooted in their faith and ready to care for all — without judgement, agenda, or expectation.
I join with the wider chaplaincy community in thanking Dudley, Alice, and Liam for their dedicated service, and in celebrating these well‑deserved awards.
Matthew Hopley National Chaplain
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The Rooted Summer Training – All Chaplains Conference will take place from 8–10 June 2026 at the College of Policing in Ryton‑on‑Dunsmore, Coventry.
This will be the largest gathering of police chaplains we’ve ever brought together — a rare chance for our community to meet in one place.
We’re setting aside these three days to reconnect, to learn from each other’s experience, and to give ourselves the kind of space we rarely get in day‑to‑day chaplaincy. There’ll be time to explore new ideas, hear fresh voices, and look honestly at what’s sustaining us and what’s shaping the work ahead.
Expect lively conversations, practical workshops, and plenty of moments that remind us why chaplaincy matters in policing.
Whether you’re long‑established in your role or just starting out, this conference is designed to leave you encouraged, resourced, and part of something bigger.
Bookings will be managed directly by the College of Policing through their online form.
Keep an eye on your inbox — an email from This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. will be arriving soon with everything you need to secure your place.
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Why The white paper and Gold Standards go hand in hand - Rev Matthew Hopley, National Police Chaplain
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The strapline for Police Chaplaincy UK—bringing chaplaincy to the heart of policing—captures a truth that feels especially important in this season of change. Policing has many organisational “hearts”—control rooms, strategic panels, neighbourhood teams—where decisions are made and pressure is absorbed. But the greatest heart of policing is always its people: the officers, staff, and volunteers who serve their both policing and communities with commitment, courage, and compassion. Chaplaincy is uniquely positioned to support both—the organisational heart and the human heart.
The publication of the Chaplaincy Gold Standards comes at the same time as A New Model for Policing, the Government’s most significant reform agenda in decades. The White Paper emphasises a policing model that is nationally consistent, locally rooted, and centred on workforce, wellbeing, leadership, and community connection. These themes echo what chaplains witness and influence through our service. In many ways, chaplaincy is an essential element to enabling the reform. People do not experience reform as structures or systems; they experience it emotionally. Policing’s investigative mindset and natural scepticism can make reassurance difficult, especially when longstanding identities, team structures, and futures feel uncertain. Chaplains help people navigate these emotional spaces. We encounter the perception that chaplaincy is “the religious for the religious,” yet we know our role is to serve everyone, regardless of belief. Our pastoral and spiritual care is grounded in presence, listening, confidentiality, and humanity, all of which are gifts that policing are blessed to receive.
The White Paper’s focus on wellbeing—including enhanced trauma support, national wellbeing standards, and a comprehensive workforce strategy—reflects the increasing pressures felt across the service. Operational demand continues to rise. Many officers and staff describe feeling stretched, fatigued, or unable to deliver policing at the level they aspire to. Incidents of anxiety, depression, and suicide attempts are tragically increasing. These are not abstract challenges—these are real people carrying real pain. Chaplains are often the ones who hear of that pain first. We walk with people who never expected “the weight” to feel so heavy. We offer grounding, compassion, and early support, and we encourage those who need specialist care to access it. Chaplains often become the trusted on‑ramp to wellbeing teams, counsellors, or occupational health—because we meet people exactly where they are.
At the same time, society is more volatile and uncertain. Public confidence is fragile, and mis / dis / mal ‑information can shape perspectives long before facts emerge. The Gold Standards describe chaplains as two‑way conduits between policing and communities. This is not theoretical—chaplains are already bridging relationships, offering reassurance where trust feels thin, and connecting communities with policing who might not otherwise engage.
Amidst all this, leaders are navigating reform coming from every direction. In such moments, leadership must become more than instruction; it must be relational. People follow not only what leaders say, but why they say it. Chaplaincy helps hold that “why”—supporting leaders as they guide their teams through uncertainty, change, and emotional load.
Through all the structural shifts ahead, chaplaincy remains a steady, human presence. The Gold Standards offer a shared foundation for chaplains across the UK, reminding us that at the heart of policing are people—and at the heart of those people, chaplains have a vital and irreplaceable role.
My encouragement to each of us as we serve, is to keep hearts warm, whether these be organisational or personal hearts, lets tend to them during comming significant months and years ahead.
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Farewell and Congratulations to West Mercia Police, Lead Chaplain, Rev Dick Johnson.
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We extend our appreciation and warmest congratulations to our colleague Dick Johnson as he embarks on an exciting new chapter in ministry. Dick has taken up a new post with the Mission to Seafarers as Port Chaplain in Yokohama, Japan, alongside serving as Rector of the English‑speaking congregation at Christ Church Yokohama. This move also marks a meaningful return to Japan for Dick and his wife, Yuki, who is Japanese making this step something of a homecoming for them both. Dick begins this transition immediately arriving in Japan the first week of February. We are deeply grateful for Dick’s diligent and compassionate pastoral care to West Mercia Police throughout his time with the force. His steady presence, wisdom, and dedication have been a blessing to many and will be sadly missed by the officers’ staff and volunteers in the force. Please join us in praying for Dick and Yuki as they settle into this new season of ministry, and in giving thanks for the faithful service Dick has offered to our policing community.
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