Police Credit Union Board Members, PCU Board Members

Board Members

Peter Watson
John Lindsay
Neal Alston
Colin Arscott
Alex Duncan
Steve Grange
Chris Jones
Paul Kinsella

Brian Longdon
Chris McDermott
Nigel Rabbitts
Gill Smith
Paul Upham
Kevin Walsh
John Bruce
Jim Skinner

Peter Watson is the current Chair of Police Credit Union Ltd and is a Director from the former Merseyside Police Credit Union.

Peter is a retired Police Officer who held the post of local Federation Secretary.

He was involved with others in establishing Merseyside Police Credit Union in 1989 and held the role of President until the merger with Police Credit Union.

He retired as a Police Staff Member in the Personnel Department of Merseyside Police in 2009

Peter became Chair of the Board of Directors in December 2006, upon the retirement of Chris Edmond. He previously served as Vice Chair.

John Lindsay served with Northumbria Police and retired as Inspector, having served in uniform and CID. His last 8 years were as a full-time official for the Northumbria Police Federation where he was Treasurer and represented officers in disciplinary matters and pension appeals. He became a Director of Northumbria Police Credit Union in 1996 and is now Secretary of the amalgamated Police Credit Union Ltd.

Neal Alston has served over 28 years with Hertfordshire Constabulary. Before his current posting, his main career was as a uniformed officer encompassing spells as a custody officer and police trainer.

He became a Federation Representative in 1999 and was elected Joint Branch Board Treasurer in 2003, before taking up his current position as full time JBB Chair in 2007. He holds the lead for Hertfordshire Federation in Diversity.

Neal joined the board of Police Credit Union in early 2008.

Colin Arscott was an original founding Director of the Devon & Cornwall Police Credit Union and on merger became a Director of the Police Credit Union Ltd. Employed as a communications operator with the Cornwall Police and subsequently the Devon & Cornwall Police, he was seconded to the role of Branch Secretary, Devon & Cornwall Police Branch of NALGO and, on merger, UNISON where he remained for nearly 30 years. He served as a National Executive Committee elected member for 20 years up to his retirement in 2002. During that time he was involved in Membership Services and also with the personnel and staffing of UNISON employees. Until 2007 he served as a UNISON Retired Member on the National and District Retired Members Committees.

Alex Duncan became a Director of Police Credit Union in 2005, representing the Bristol branch. He took on the position of Deputy Secretary in 2008.

He has been with Avon & Somerset Police Force since 1990, having worked in both the city of Bristol and the rural area of Somerset.

He was elected as a Federation Representative in 1999 and became the Joint Branch Board Secretary in 2003, a position he has held since. He is also the Secretary of No 6 Region Constables and Joint Boards.

Steve Grange joined West Midlands Police in 1991, serving as a uniformed response officer for the majority of his service to date. After being initially posted to the Sandwell area of the force he was promoted to Walsall where he spent 4 years carrying out the role of a response sergeant and custody officer before being promoted to Inspector in 2002. He then transferred to Dudley where he led a response team for 5 years.

He became a local Federation Representative in 2004. After being the Secretary to the Inspector’ Branch Board, Steve became Deputy Secretary to the Joint Branch Board in January 2011.

He joined the PCU Board as Director in 2011.

Chris Jones joined West Midlands Police in 1985. After service in the CID, he was promoted out of what is now called the Economic Crime Unit back into uniform and then spent a number of years as a Custody Officer.

He became a local Federation Representative in 2001. After being Treasurer and then Secretary to the Sergeants� Branch Board, Chris became Deputy Secretary to the Joint Branch Board in December 2007 and then Secretary in 2009.

He joined the PCU Board as Director in May 2010.

Paul Kinsella joined Merseyside Police in 1980 and was promoted to Sergeant in 1990,working predominantly in the Traffic Department.

He became a Federation Rep in 1995 and became full time Merseyside JBB Treasurer in 2004. He is currently working towards obtaining an AAT qualification.

Paul became a director of PCU in October 2006 and was soon elected Deputy Treasurer in January 2007. Paul retired in 2011 and joined the Merseyside Federation as Business Manager.

Brian Longdon is retired, having completed 32 years service with the West Midlands Police. During his time in the force he became a representative of the Police Federation in 1989, representing the Wolverhampton area.

In 1990 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the West Midlands Police Credit Union and was immediately installed as Secretary. In 1994 he also took on the role of Secretary/Treasurer and in 1998 took on the sole responsibility as Treasurer. He played a significant part in obtaining Version 2 status for the Credit Union, which enabled higher savings and loans to be issued. He also played a significant part in attracting the other forces of Staffordshire, West Mercia and Warwickshire into the newly formed Mid-West Police Credit Union and the development of what is now the 'Police Credit Union'.

Since the merger he has become the Compliance Officer, ensuring that the Credit Union complies with all of the rules and regulations that are currently in force.

Chris McDermott joined the Metropolitian Police Service in 1982 and later transferred to West Midlands Police In 1993 during which time he conducted ‘Best Value Review’, was the Licensing Inspector for Wolverhampton City Centre and was seconded to the National Policing Improvement Agency developing the National Police Public Order Training Curriculum until his retirement in December 2011.

He has been a school governor since 2003 and served as the vice chair at a primary school and now sits as a community governor at a local grammar school. More recently he has been elected to a management board for a pupil referral unit.

Chris became a Director of Police Credit Union in July 2011, six months before retiring from the Police.

Nigel Rabbitts joined Devon & Cornwall Constabulary in 1988, after University and service with the British Army all over the world.

He has worked throughout the two counties and the Isles of Scilly, specialising in public order and covert policing.

Currently a Sergeant, he was elected as Chairman of the Devon & Cornwall Police Federation Joint Branch Board in April 2010.

He holds qualifications in Organisational Studies and Occupational Health & Safety.

Nigel became a Director of Police Credit Union in September 2010.

Gill Smith joined North Riding Constabulary in 1967. She transferred into Teesside and then Cleveland following amalgamations. In 1979 she joined Cleveland Branch Board as Policewomens' Representative. Gill was elected Assistant Secretary JBB in 1980 and JBB Secretary in 1995. She held the post of Secretary of No 2 Region Policewomen and was Secretary of Cleveland Police Benevolent Fund. She was instrumental in setting up Cleveland Police Credit Union, being the first member. She retired from Police service in 1999. She then spent several years supporting people with special needs in their workplace and college.

Paul Upham was the JBB Treasurer for Avon and Somerset Police Federation for 21 years. In 1996 the JBB commenced their own Credit Union and Paul was one of the founding Directors of what was named “Moneymate”. On amalgamation with PCU, he remained as a Director for the Bristol branch and now holds position of Treasurer.

Kevin Walsh joined the Merseyside Police in 1984, becoming a detective in 1992. Since 2002, he has worked in the Fraud, Cheque and Credit Card Unit.

He became a Federation Representative in 2001 and Branch Board Treasurer in 2010.

Kevin joined the PCU Board in January 2012.

John Bruce joined Cleveland Constabulary as a Cadet in 1982, becoming a regular officer in 1984. Over the next 16 years, he worked as a Response Officer in Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Stockton Districts and also served in a number of specialist Departments.

He was promoted Sergeant in January 2001 and then Inspector in January 2006.

He was elected as a Federation Representative in January 2005. During his time as a Federation Representative, he has served as both the Branch Board Secretary for the Sergeants and Inspectors Boards.

John served as the Deputy Secretary / Treasurer for the Joint Branch Board between 2008 and 2010 before becoming Branch Board Secretary in January 2011. He joined the PCU Board in January 2012.

Jim Skinner joined the Metropolitan Police in 1989 serving for 16 years in uniform roles including Neighbourhood Policing and a spell as a police trainer. He transferred to Hertfordshire Police in 2005 and currently runs the force crime management unit.

Jim is the Secretary of Hertfordshire Inspectors Branch Board and the Vice Chair of the Joint Branch Board.

Jim joined the board of Police Credit Union in 2012.