Latest news with #BlueLight
Otago Daily Times
12-06-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Pupils take to the skies thanks to police initiative
Posing in front of the aircraft used in the ''Take a kid flying day'' are (from left) Constable James McDonald of Alexandra, Central Otago Flying Club pilot David Bourke, Alexandra Lions Club president Murray Anderson and Central Otago Flying Club president Kurt Verduyn. PHOTO: SUPPLIED/DONALD LAMONT Twenty-seven Central Otago primary school pupils took to the skies as part of the Police's Blue Light initiative "Take a kid flying day" in Alexandra over the weekend. Central Otago youth aid officer Constable James McDonald said for most of the 27 children it was their first time in a plane. Flights ran throughout the day using the Central Otago Flying Club's aircraft, starting from 10am. The initiative allowed children to step outside of their comfort zones and do something they had never done before. "It just builds up a bit of resilience with young people. There were a couple that were pretty nervous, so, it's quite good [to have overcome that]." This was Const McDonald's first year as the Central Otago Lakes Blue Light chairman so facilitating the event was interesting, he said. "I wasn't sure how it was all going to play out, but it was a real success and everything just fell into place really, really nicely." The children were selected from primary schools in the Alexandra and Cromwell areas. Each school's leadership teams selected the five children best suited to the opportunity, he said. Because Blue Light was a not-for-profit organisation, it had to reach out to local organisations for sponsors. The flying club helped through pilots who gave their time, and with the cost of running the aircraft. Alexandra Lions contributed financially and cooked lunch for all involved. Alexandra and Clyde Night 'n Day and McLellan's Plumbing & Heating also supported the event. Seeing the children a bit nervous as they hopped on the plane and then return with big smiles was something he found fulfilling, Const McDonald said. "I mean the kids were a little bit nervous and then as soon as they'd gone up and done the loop and come back down, they were a lot different — big smiles on their faces, full of excitement and very appreciative for the opportunity," he said.
Otago Daily Times
01-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Influential West Coast cop honoured
A police officer made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in Monday's King's Birthday Honours says she is humbled and deeply honoured to be recognised. Greymouth's Senior Constable Terri Middleton is a school community officer. Over more than three decades, police in a statement said she had worked with victims of child abuse and family harm, in drug education, helping youngsters in and out of school, with the Blue Light charity and inside the Gloriavale community. She joined the police in 1991, and spent most of the first decade of her career as an interviewer and investigating child abuse. In 2002 she became the West Coast school community officer, and was "instrumental in delivering education and prevention initiatives into all West Coast schools, as well as volunteering thousands of hours to local organisations, sporting clubs and charity events". "It is a privilege to be involved in so many people's life experiences," she said. "I am passionate about helping people and trying to make a difference and for this to happen you need to be well supported by others." Middleton thanked the police leadership team and colleagues, as well as her family. "I very much want to thank them as I know it isn't easy for any family to have a police officer in the mix - there are definitely some challenges. I very much appreciate their love and support as I couldn't do my job without them." Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said it was "impossible to count the lives Middleton has changed for the better, or quantify the harm prevented by her engagement with some of the most vulnerable people in our society". "I'm proud of the great work our people do every day to support their communities and, as a former Tasman District Commander, especially proud to see this honour go to a Tasman colleague who exemplifies the very best of community policing." Other work Middleton had been involved in included chairing the West Coast Blue Light branch since 2010, preventing drug use and being the West Coast health and safety area representative for the Police Association and a welfare officer. She led engagement with the school principal of Gloriavale Christian Community, which "led to a multi-agency response of active engagement with Gloriavale, enabling her to build trust and co-deliver a range of initiatives that would otherwise have not been introduced to the young people of the community", police said.
RNZ News
01-06-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
King's Birthday Honours: Veteran police officer Terri Middleton honoured for work with victims
Senior Constable Terri Middleton. Photo: Police / Supplied A police officer made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in Monday's King's Birthday Honours says she is humbled and deeply honoured to be recognised. Greymouth's Senior Constable Terri Middleton is a school community officer. Over more than three decades, police in a statement said she had worked with victims of child abuse and family harm, in drug education, helping youngsters in and out of school, with the Blue Light charity and inside the Gloriavale community. She joined the police in 1991, and spent most of the first decade of her career as an interviewer and investigating child abuse. In 2002 she became the West Coast school community officer, and was "instrumental in delivering education and prevention initiatives into all West Coast schools, as well as volunteering thousands of hours to local organisations, sporting clubs and charity events". "It is a privilege to be involved in so many people's life experiences," she said. "I am passionate about helping people and trying to make a difference and for this to happen you need to be well supported by others." Senior Constable Terri Middleton. Photo: Police / Supplied Middleton thanked the police leadership team and colleagues, as well as her family. "I very much want to thank them as I know it isn't easy for any family to have a police officer in the mix - there are definitely some challenges. I very much appreciate their love and support as I couldn't do my job without them." Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said it was "impossible to count the lives Middleton has changed for the better, or quantify the harm prevented by her engagement with some of the most vulnerable people in our society". "I'm proud of the great work our people do every day to support their communities and, as a former Tasman District Commander, especially proud to see this honour go to a Tasman colleague who exemplifies the very best of community policing." Other work Middleton had been involved in included chairing the West Coast Blue Light branch since 2010, preventing drug use and being the West Coast health and safety area representative for the Police Association and a welfare officer. She led engagement with the school principal of Gloriavale Christian Community, which "led to a multi-agency response of active engagement with Gloriavale, enabling her to build trust and co-deliver a range of initiatives that would otherwise have not been introduced to the young people of the community", police said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
01-06-2025
- Scoop
Commissioner Congratulates Honours Recipient
A police officer who has dedicated her career to supporting her community has been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours. Senior Constable Terri Middleton, a School Community Officer based in Greymouth on the West Coast, has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for Services to New Zealand Police and the community. In 34 years in Police, Terri's work has included work with young people in and out of school, victims of child abuse and family harm, in drug education, Blue Light and inside the Gloriavale community (citation below). Today Commissioner Richard Chambers led the congratulations. 'I congratulate Terri on this fantastically well-deserved honour,' he says. 'I'm absolutely delighted to see her awesome work in her community recognised at the highest level. 'It is impossible to count the lives Terri has changed for the better, or quantify the harm prevented by her engagement with some of the most vulnerable people in our society. 'I'm proud of the great work our people do every day to support their communities and, as a former Tasman District Commander, especially proud to see this honour go to a Tasman colleague who exemplifies the very best of community policing.' Terri says she is humbled and deeply honoured. 'It is a privilege to be involved in so many people's life experiences,' she says. 'I am passionate about helping people and trying to make a difference and for this to happen you need to be well supported by others.' She thanks her Police Leadership Team, her colleagues and her family. 'I very much want to thank them as I know it isn't easy for any family to have a police officer in the mix – there are definitely some challenges. I very much appreciate their love and support as I couldn't do my job without them.' CITATION Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit For Services to New Zealand Police and the community. Senior Constable Terri Middleton Terri Middleton joined New Zealand Police in 1991 in Greymouth, spending nine years as an interviewer and investigating child abuse, and as the West Coast School Community Officer since 2002. Ms Middleton has been instrumental in delivering education and prevention initiatives into all West Coast schools, as well as volunteering thousands of hours to local organisations, sporting clubs and charity events. She has introduced numerous initiatives over and above her School Community Officer role including Youth Boot Camps, life skills programmes and others, intensive programmes requiring considerable coordination. More recently, she has been a driving force for a Prevention First Drug Education across the region, both within schools and the broader community. She has chaired the West Coast Blue Light branch since 2010 and is the West Coast Health and Safety Area Representative for the Police Association and Welfare Officer. She developed Te Wa Maaku in 2021, a community approach to help women exposed to family harm through fitness and wellbeing. In 2015, Ms Middleton initiated engagement with the school principal of Gloriavale Christian Community that led to a multi-agency response of active engagement with Gloriavale, enabling her to build trust and co-deliver a range of initiatives that would otherwise have not been introduced to the young people of the community.
Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Full list of jobs that make you eligible for free event tickets
Members get the chance to receive exclusive free tickets to a variety of events People in the UK with one of these 31 occupations can snap up free tickets to an array of events, covering music gigs, comedy acts, sports matches, family outings, and more. Workers in the healthcare industry can enjoy discounts with a Blue Light Card. It's designed to offer money off to those in the emergency services, NHS, armed forces, and social care sector. Holding a membership grants access to 15,000 discounts from big-name brands to local shops, including holidays, cars, leisure activities, fashion, presents, insurance, mobiles and more. For just £4.99, Blue Light members can use their Blue Light Card for two years. Signing up for one can be done online via the official Blue Light Card website, or by downloading the app. In the past year alone, £7 million worth of tickets have been dished out at no charge, reports Yorkshire Live. One Facebook user in the popular Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group shared the latest tickets they managed to get for free, posting: "If no one knows, but Blue Light are now offering free tickets on a first-come, first-served basis. One example is John Legend on Thursday, and all you have to pay is the £2.50 fee." Tickets come in two varieties: those distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and others available through event ballots. A statement on the Blue Light Card website reads: "Think unforgettable experiences but without the price tag." It adds: "Our event ballots give Blue Light Card holders the chance to win tickets to amazing events, often with a VIP twist. Previous ballots have included tickets to see Coldplay and days out to Shrek's Adventure in London." In a recent Instagram post, Blue Light Card said: "Did you know that, as a Blue Light Card member, you can unlock access to unforgettable experiences like sport, music, comedy and family events?" The guidelines for the first-come, first-served tickets are detailed on the Blue Light Card website, saying: "If members book more tickets than allowed, the whole booking may be cancelled as they're taking the experience away from other members. The Blue Light Card member must be in attendance at the event. Tickets cannot be passed onto family/friends or sold on." For those interested in the event ballots, the website advises: "Please only enter the ballot if you have a genuine interest in attending. Before attending the event, please check you're available on the date of the event and are able to get to the venue." 31 eligible services for a Blue Light Card: NHS Police Fire Service Ambulance Service Teachers HM Armed Forces/Reserved Armed Forces Pharmacy Optometry Dental Practice MOD Police MOD Fire Service MOD Civil Servant Home Office HM Prison and Probation Service Highways Traffic Officers Search and Rescue Red Cross RNLI Independent Lifeboats HM Coastguard Environment Agency Animal and Plant Health Agency Blood Bikes Social Care - Homelessness Social Care - Care Company (Workforce) Social Worker Social Care - Care Home Social Care - Residential Care Social Care - Council (Working in Care Sector) Social Care - Foster Carers Social Care - Personal Assistant 5 eligible retired categories: HM Armed Forces Veteran Retired Fire Service Retired Frontline Ambulance Staff Retired NHS Retired Police How is eligibility confirmed? There are two methods for verifying eligibility: Instant email verification: If you have a recognised work email (such as NHS or emergency services domains), you can verify instantly when you sign up. Document upload: If email verification is not possible, you can upload proof of employment, such as a work ID badge, recent payslip, or official letter showing your name, employer, and role. Our team will review your documents, typically within 7 days. Article continues below Should you have further questions, the Blue Light Card's Help Centre contains a comprehensive FAQ section. For quick answers, most inquiries can be resolved by perusing its Resource Centre, where information is readily searchable. Should there still be questions after consulting that resource, one is welcome to Submit a Request to communicate with the company directly.
