UK Police Unity Tour 2026 Scottish Chapter
SPCU is a sponsor for the Scottish Chapter of the Police Unity Tour 2026.
We ride for those who died.
Doing more for the Police Family.
The Scottish Chapter of the UK Police Unity Tour takes place from the 6th – 9th of August 2026. The Tour leaves from Gretna and cycles to the National Memorial Arboretum in Tamworth.
Proud to stand with our Heroes
At Scottish Police Credit Union, we go beyond financial services. We exist to support the police family in Scotland, through every step of their journey.
That is why we are immensely proud to announce our official sponsorship of the Scottish Chapter of the UK Police Unity Tour.
The UK Police Unity Tour is one of the most meaningful events in the police calendar. Every year, officers, staff and supporters take to their bikes to complete a challenging long-distance cycle.
Their mission is simple, to honour their colleagues and fellow officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty and to ensure their memory, sacrifice and families are never forgotten.
Each rider wears a wristband inscribed with the name of a fallen officer, riding in their honour and presenting the band to the officer’s survivors at the Care of Police Survivors Annual Service of Remembrance.
Like every event, we tend to focus on the event itself and not those who have put in the hard yards to get it up and running in the first place.
It’s the tireless efforts in the background who are organising donations, putting the logistics together and everything in between that are seldom mentioned.
We’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the unsung heroes who make the Scottish leg of the Unity Tour tick. To the chapter leads, past and present, thank you for all that you do to make this possible.
We ride for those who died.
When an officer dies on duty, the grief is immediate, but the impact on their family lasts a lifetime. COPS is there to ensure that no family has to navigate this grief alone.
All funds raised from the Unity Tour go directly to Care of Police Survivors (UK COPS), an exceptional charity dedicated to helping the families of fallen officers rebuild their lives. Over the years, the UK Police Unity Tour has raised over £1.6million for COPS.
At COPS, families receive resources to support them including peer support weekends, emotional guidance, and a connection for life to the police family.
“For COPS, the Tour is about far more than fundraising. It represents unity, remembrance and the enduring strength of the police family. One of the most moving moments comes at the end of the ride, when memorial wristbands bearing an officer’s name are presented to their loved ones — a gesture that reminds survivors their family member will always be remembered.
Funds raised through the Police Unity Tour help COPS continue its vital work supporting spouses, partners, children, parents and relatives of officers killed on duty. Through peer support, survivor weekends, and ongoing practical and emotional support, the charity ensures no police family faces loss alone. Above all, the Police Unity Tour stands as a visible reminder that the service and sacrifice of fallen officers — and the families they leave behind — will never be forgotten.
To everyone involved in the Unity Tour, thank you for supporting our police families. Your commitment means the world to our survivors and to the charity.”
Julie and Martin's Story
“Martin and I took up tandem cycling nearly 3 years ago after attending a come and try session during the UCI Cycling Championships in Glasgow in 2023. Martin was losing his sight and is registered blind and this seemed like a great opportunity to be able to cycle with the help of a sighted Pilot.
We loved the experience and very quickly joined the Glasgow Tandem Club. GTC is a cycling club that matches vision impaired people with sighted Pilots to allow them to experience the joy of cycling. Being members of this group has been a huge support for both Martin and I.
"With the support and encouragement from members of GTC we both fell in love with cycling."
At the beginning, I lacked confidence cycling on roads and feared traffic. With the support and encouragement from members of GTC we both fell in love with cycling. We enjoy the camaraderie and banter with other members who are in a similar situation to Martin. Sight loss can be very isolating and can have a detrimental effect on mental health, cycling helps counteract that and keeps us fit. Cycling with a group of likeminded people is uplifting and we enjoy regular outings to different parts of the country.
Soon after joining GTC, we were invited to sign up for their annual weekend away to Dunoon. This is a 4-day trip starting from Bellahouston and cycling to Dunoon where we’re based for the weekend. We have a couple of days cycling the Cowal Peninsula and Bute before returning to Bellahouston on the Monday.
We caught the cycling bug and signed up for Etape Loch Ness the following April and another trip to Dunoon in May. We noticed a massive improvement in our fitness level by following the same routes from the previous year. This inspired us to do more. We signed up for more cycling holidays and completed Etape Loch Ness again this year.
We recently purchased our own tandem which has allowed us to cycle outwith club rides. We try to get out a few times a week and have found that cycling regularly has been the best training for us. We cycle a mixture of short routes and longer ones, flat runs and hills. We are not racers and enjoy group cycling with coffee stops.
The Unity Tour's first Tandem participants.
I heard about the Police Unity Tour through a colleague and was touched by the work of Care of Police Survivors. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to support such a worthwhile cause by doing something we love. I reached out to the Organisers of the Scottish Chapter to see whether cycling a tandem was permitted and if I could cycle with Martin who is not Police personnel. We were encouraged to sign up and are believed to be the first Tandem to ever take part in this event.
We are extremely grateful for all the support and encouragement we have received.
If anyone wishes to contribute to our efforts please click the button below to head to our JustGiving page.”
The SPCU Riders
Not only will SPCU be sponsoring this year’s ride, we will also be participating. George Nedley, our CEO, Robert Kennedy, our Chair of the Board of Directors, and Theresa Collie, our Director, will all be taking on the challenge in support of a fallen colleague.
George retired in 2013 after a 30-year career in Strathclyde Police. While this is his first-time taking part in the Unity Tour, he did do part of the ride with the Run Doonhamers back in 2017. He is riding in memory of Callum Chisholm.
Being a retired police officer, George knows the dangers that the police face each day and the outstanding work Care Of Police Survivors (COPS) does in supporting survivors of those who die in the line of duty. By joining the tour this year, he will be raising funds for COPS to further support these families.
“Having met a number of survivors through COPS and attended the remembrance days at the National Arboretum, I was moved by the impact the Unity Tour has on survivors and wanted to be a part of it.”
If you would like to support George, please head to his JustGiving page by clicking HERE.
Bob, our Chair of the Board of Directors, is also riding for the first time with the Unity Tour although he also took part in the ride with the Run Doonhamers back in 2017 alongside George. Bob is riding in memory of Tom White.
Bob retired from Police Scotland in 2023 and took over as Chair of the Board of Directors that year having previously held the post of Secretary. He comes from a dedicated police family with both his brothers having served, and at one time his three sons too. Bob has been a keen advocate of supporting the police family throughout his service and now in retirement.
“It’s a privilege to take part in the Unity Tour and I’m delighted to support the fundraising efforts for the Care of Police Survivors UK. Having the welfare and wellbeing of Police Families at heart is something greatly important to me.”
If you would like to support Bob, please head to his JustGiving page by clicking HERE.
Tel: 0141 771 1314
Email: info@scottishpolicecu.co.uk
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