The NEN – North Edinburgh News – Page 597 – The community media resource for north Edinburgh

Police Scotland officers and staff recognised in New Year Honours list

Three serving and former Police Scotland officers have been recognised in the King’s New Year Honours for their significant contribution to policing.

Chief Superintendent Faroque Hussain (previously Temporary Assistant Chief Constable), Chief Superintendent Carol McGuire (retired) and Constable Stephanie Rose all receive the King’s Police Medal (KPM).

A further three serving and retired Police Scotland officers and staff members have also been recognised.

DC Jodie McFarlane receives the British Empire Medal for services to children and families in Ayrshire for her work with the charity Night Before Christmas Campaign, while retired Child Protection Manager, James Duffy, is named a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to children.

Also honoured with the award of an MBE is Investigation and Information Manager, Stuart Cossar, for services to the investigation and to the bereaved families of the Lockerbie Air Disaster.

Chief Constable Jo Farrell said: “These awards are testament to the dedication to public service and professionalism our officers show right across the country, day in, day out.

“I offer my warmest congratulations to Carol, Faroque and Stephanie for this deserved recognition of their significant contribution to policing.

“I would also like to recognise the honours awarded to Jodie, James and Stuart for their commitment and compassion serving policing and our communities in Scotland and beyond.”

Chief Superintendent Faroque Hussain joined Strathclyde Police in 1999.

He was promoted to Chief Superintendent in 2019 and appointed as Divisional Commander for Ayrshire in 2020 where he championed partnership working and engagement.

As a Strategic Firearms Commander, Faroque has overseen and coordinated firearms assets for major events including COP26 and the Queen’s death.

After a secondment to the National Crime Agency, he was appointed as Divisional Commander for Ayrshire in 2020, and was recently temporary Assistant Chief Constable for Partnership, Preventions and Community Wellbeing.

Chief Superintendent Hussain said: “I am deeply honoured by this recognition from His Majesty the King.

“I am profoundly grateful to have worked with countless selfless colleagues and partners from across Scotland, and beyond, who work tirelessly to keep our fellow citizens safe.

“Most of all, I thank my wife and our family for their unwavering support.”

Chief Supt Carol McGuire standing at Drumlanrig Castle. She is wearing full black police uniform and hat with a hi-vis vest holding police equipment.

Chief Superintendent Carol McGuire joined Strathclyde Police in 1995, serving in roles across local policing, emergency planning and community safety where she wrote the first Gender Equality Scheme for Strathclyde Police.

Carol later undertook a secondment to the Football Coordination Unit Scotland where she developed the first National Strategy for the Policing of Football in Scotland.

In 2017, Carol joined the Operational Support Division (Specialist Services) where she was responsible for specialist resources including Public Order and oversaw the introduction of drones to enhance air support capability.

During her time at OSD, Carole also drove the work to identify and procure new, lighter and more flexible body armour for officers. Latterly, Carol served as Divisional Commander for Dumfries and Galloway, where she is originally from, and retired in October 2023.

Chief Superintendent McGuire said: “It is fair to say I am genuinely overwhelmed and more than a little surprised to be receiving such a prestigious accolade, however, I am extremely proud as well.

“I am also enormously grateful to those who have guided and mentored me throughout my career in policing, and the many others whose support has been invaluable.

“It was a true privilege to have been a police officer, and to have led and been part of so many tremendous teams, and my thanks go to everyone who has been a part of my story.”

Constable Stephanie Rose joined Strathclyde Police in 1997 and has been a strong advocate for equality, diversion and inclusion throughout her service.

Her passion and commitment in this area is further demonstrated by Stephanie’s personal learning journey with British Sign Language (BSL). She is now fully conversant in BSL and regularly interprets for Police Scotland to deaf communities.

Stephanie developed the Keep Safe initiative in partnership with I Am Me Scotland which was piloted in Renfrewshire in 2014 before becoming a national programme in 2015. The initiative creates a network of local businesses to establish Keep Safe places for disabled, vulnerable and elderly people to go if they feel lost, confused, scared or intimidated or have been the victim of a crime.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Stephanie adopted a number of new initiatives to support and reassure disabled communities about the restrictions in place. She also developed guidance for police officers on interacting with people with autism or learning disabilities during the pandemic.

Constable Rose said: “I am hugely honoured to have been awarded the King’s Police Medal.

“I am very proud to be a police officer and have been extremely fortunate to work with some brilliant staff, officers and partners who share the vision of a fair, inclusive and accessible police service. Most importantly I have had the privilege of working with communities who have led so much positive change for policing.

“I have a particular passion for tackling hate crime and improving services for disabled people and British Sign Language communities and I hope this recognition enables us to continue making progress, as there is still more work to be done.”

Bike owners encouraged to register bikes on national database

POLICE are urging bike owners to ensure their cycles are registered on a national database to help ensure they can be reunited with them if they are lost or stolen.

The Bike Register database contains the details of tens of thousands bicycles from across the UK and for the last year Police Scotland officers have had access to the database via a downloadable app on their mobile devices.

Recently, four successful bike recoveries have been made as a result of the app and bike marking.

In the first instance, a member of the public in Edinburgh found a bicycle and used the app they had on their phone to establish it had been registered as lost. The owner was found to have moved from the Capital to Woking and was reunited with the bike.

Local officers in Lancashire also came across a stolen bike being sold on Facebook Marketplace in the course of their inquiries and by utilising the app on their mobile devices, they confirmed it was registered to an address in the Currie area of Edinburgh. The bike was again, returned to its rightful owner.

In the last two weeks, police in the Wester Hailes area of Edinburgh have returned two bikes to their owners after both were found and handed into the police station. Utilising the app, the cycles were both confirmed as stolen and then handed back to those they belong to.

Any officer who locates a bike they believe may be lost or stolen can access the database via the app, and scan a visible bar code or enter property details to check to see if it has been registered. If so, they can then find out whether the status is set to lost or stolen, and who the registered owner is.

It is anticipated that hundreds of new bikes will have been purchased or received over Christmas, many worth large sums of money. Owners of bikes, both new and old, are urged to ensure their cycle’s details are logged on the database.

Inspector Jordan Low from Police Scotland’s Rural and Acquisitive Crime Team, said: “We know that for many in Scotland, bikes are not just an important recreational item, they are a vital mode of transportation or exercise and to have them lost or stolen can be devastating.

“I would ask that all bike owners ensure their bicycles’ details are logged on the Bike Register database, as this will aid us during our inquiries whenever we locate any bikes that we believe to be stolen, or that are brought into police stations as lost property.

“The recent successful recoveries highlight just how important the database is in order to reunite bikes with their rightful owners and the app available to officers on their mobile device is another useful tool in helping us tackle bike theft across the country.”

One symptom of FAST is enough to act on stroke, warns charity

Act FAST on the first sign of stroke, the Stroke Association says. The charity is concerned people are waiting for all three of the ‘FAST’ stroke symptoms to appear before raising the alarm.

In fact, the public should be treating stroke as a medical emergency when any one stroke symptom appears. – most commonly these are Face (F) or Arm (A), or Speech (S). The moment a stroke is suspected, is Time (T) to dial 999.

Face weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?

Arm weakness: Can the person raise both arms?

Speech problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?

Adam Henderson, 24 from Broxburn had a stroke at the age of 23, which initially only presented as one symptom. At the time his stroke began, he was in the hairdresser’s and noticed that as people were talking to him, he had started to grunt, and couldn’t speak properly.

Even though he only had one of the ‘FAST’ symptoms at the time, the customers realised something was seriously wrong with Adam. At this point, Adam’s arms and face were unaffected. They called his partner’s mum – a nurse, who immediately knew it was a stroke. Everyone acted quickly to get Adam the treatment he needed.

Adam said: “When I got to hospital, I couldn’t walk. My head was shaking and the need to fall asleep was overwhelming.”

John Watson, Associate Director Scotland of the Stroke Association, said: “There are amazing treatments for stroke which can prevent death and disability. However, there is a short time period to receive treatment.

“That is why immediate action is needed for any one symptom of stroke. Time lost is brain lost. A typical patient loses 1.9 million neurons each minute in which stroke is untreated, which can lead to death or disability.

“As soon as you notice any one symptom of stroke, it is time to take action. Very few people get all three of the FAST symptoms. Dial 999.”

Although Adam initially only had one FAST symptom (Speech), the inability to walk that he later developed can also be a sign of stroke:

The FAST test helps spot the three most common symptoms of stroke. But there are other signs that you should always take seriously. These include:

Sudden weakness or numbness on one side of the body, including legs, hands or feet.
Difficulty finding words or speaking in clear sentences.
Sudden blurred vision or loss of sight in one or both eyes.
Sudden memory loss or confusion, and dizziness or a sudden fall.
A sudden, severe headache.

When Adam got to hospital, he was quickly wheeled in for a brain scan. The doctors decided that given the seriousness of the stroke, the type of stroke and where it was in the brain that he would be a suitable candidate for clot removal surgery, mechanical thrombectomy.

Adam was a fortunate candidate for thrombectomy, because of the speed people had in spotting his stroke, getting to hospital and receiving a diagnosis quickly. At first, Adam was displaying only one sign of stroke using the FAST test, but thankfully that was enough for those who were with him to raise the alarm.

He was put to sleep and the procedure took 20 minutes. Within ten minutes of coming round, Adam was able to walk again. Having been completely unable to do anything physically before the procedure was performed, the first thing Adam wanted and was able to do, was go and have a shower by himself.

Around one in every three people who receive a thrombectomy following their stroke will be less disabled than they otherwise would have been as a result. Around one in five will be able to function completely independently afterwards.

Thrombectomy is a suitable treatment to save lives and reduce disability for around one in every ten people who have a stroke.

John Watson, Associate Director Scotland of the Stroke Association, said: “Strokes and TIAs [aka mini-strokes] are medical emergencies even if the symptoms appear to get better or go away.

“Treatments for stroke become less suitable over time, so calling 999 as soon as possible leads to the best chance of survival and the best recovery. Look out for any one sign of stroke using the FAST test and take immediate action.

“No matter what festivities are happening around you, at this time of the year, or at any other time, do not delay.”

Any symptom of FAST – take action

Do not wait for all three signs to appear. Any of these signs – even one sign – means you need to take immediate action. Time to call 999.

Adam feels very fortunate that his stroke was recognised and treated as a medical emergency. He is now back at work, driving and has returned to his hobbies.

Now he is urging the public to learn how to recognise the signs of a stroke and take immediate action on should they suspect stroke.

“I was very lucky. I got to hospital fast and received this incredible treatment. Not everyone receives that treatment – one reason being the speed of a person able to identify any of the signs of stroke and taking immediate action.

“I know the people with me at the time are glad they recognised my stroke; they would have felt dreadful should it have been missed. “

John concluded: “Knowing the signs and symptoms of stroke needs to be reinforced on a regular basis to the public.

“That is why we are pleased to see a commitment from The Scottish Government in their Stroke Action Plan, to invest in the Act FAST campaign, and continue to raise awareness of the symptoms of stroke. We look forward to seeing this carried out in Scotland as soon as possible.”

Drivers: Prepare well for New Year journeys

With New Year celebrations taking place over the next few days and many travelling across the country for festivities it’s important drivers feel prepared for their journey.

Richard Evans, head of technical services at webuyanycar comments: “As the year draws to a close, many may be driving to celebrate the new year with friends and family across the country.

“The roads are likely to be very busy and many will be doing all they can to make sure they arrive safely to their festivities. Our research shows that 38% of drivers travel by car during bank holidays, and with the new year the last one of the year many are likely to be getting ready to celebrate.

“For those that have plans to travel throughout the holidays, there are some important things to stay aware of to make the journey as easy as possible.

“Forward planning can help drivers to avoid congested roads or peak travel times, which can in turn help with reducing their fuel consumption.

“Drivers should also check their tyre pressure and oil levels to avoid any unnecessary stops or breakdowns along their way.

“It’s important to stay mindful of driving by taking breaks when needed and making sure to be well rested. Our tips for travelling will ensure drivers are ready to get around to New Year celebrations safely.”

Over 300 assaults on ambulance staff

More than 300 Scottish Ambulance Service staff have been physically or verbally abused in the past year according to latest statistics.

The figures show that 328 staff have suffered abuse, attacks with weapons and death threats this year, with ambulance staff having to deal with incidents of abuse almost every day.

Of these 328 incidents – an increase of 51 over the previous year – 21 staff were threatened with either a knife or bottle, while 140 were either punched, kicked or spat on.

There have also been 124 incidents this year of verbal abuse towards staff.

Michael Dickson, Chief Executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We strongly condemn violence against our staff. They have the right to carry out their work helping patients and saving lives without fear of assault or abuse.

“Our staff are having to deal with incidents nearly every single day and that is totally unacceptable. No form of abuse will be tolerated and we will continue to work with Police Scotland to take action against perpetrators.”

The majority of the assaults or abuse was in the West region with 176 this year. There have been 123 incidents of physical or verbal abuse in the East, while in the North there have been 27 this year.

Gaza: Edinburgh protest today

SATURDAY 30th DECEMBER at 1pm

MEET AT BARCLAYS BANK on PRINCES STREET

32% of older people say 20 Minute Neighbourhoods not possible due to lack of local services

A third of over 50s say a bank is an essential service in their area

Almost a third of older people have said the Scottish Government’s 20 Minute Neighbourhood initiative cannot work in their community due to a lack of available local services and facilities.

Age Scotland’s Big Survey 2023 asked older people about the proposal, currently under consideration, which aims to allow everyone access to essential goods and services within a 20 minute journey from home.

When asked what services would be essential for a ‘20 Minute Neighbourhood’ to be successful, 32% said a bank, 23% said a post office and 23% said community spaces. The top three facilities that respondents felt essential were accessible toilets (41%), good digital connectivity (33%) and buses with local bus stops (25%).

The findings highlight the importance to older people of being able to go into a bank branch or post office to manage their money, an arrangement that has become increasingly challenging with the widespread closure of bank branches across the country.

The availability of accessible and clean toilets is another factor which determines whether some older people feel confident getting out and about in their local area.

Other important facilities and services included access to a hospital and GP service, a supermarket or grocery store, and access to local green spaces.

These findings showcase the importance of access to health and wellbeing facilities in a local community, in addition to local services and social spaces.

However, Scotland’s national charity for older people found that although 28% of respondents said they already lived in a 20 Minute Neighbourhood and 23% believed it could be achieved, almost one third – 32% – said it was not possible and they didn’t think it could work in their community.

Additionally, older people living in rural areas all said a 20 Minute Neighbourhood was unachievable, further highlighting the barriers older people in remote communities face with accessible transport and local high street closures.

Katherine Crawford, chief executive of Age Scotland, said: “Our findings show that for many older people 20 Minute Neighbourhoods won’t work because of a lack of the services that they use on a regular basis.

“Bank branches, for example, are hugely important for the tens of thousands of older people who do not have access to internet banking and prefer to manage their finances by going into a branch and speaking to a member of staff face to face.

“The slew of bank branch closures we have seen across Scotland, creating banking deserts in some parts of the country, have forced many older customers to drive or take public transport some distance to find a branch in a larger town or city. That certainly doesn’t meet the 20 minute aspiration.

“Equally the closure of some public toilets is off putting to some older people who worry about travelling any distance from home without knowing there are clean and accessible public toilets nearby.

“The concept of 20 Minute Neighbourhoods is a great way to encourage people to use local services – but if they services they need are not available, then it doesn’t work.

“We would call on local authorities to keep public toilets open wherever possible and to banks to think about the consequences of their closures before pulling out of communities and depriving older customers of easy access to their money.

“It is vital that older people’s views help shape the 20 Minute Neighbourhood initiative, and investing in local services that are important to them will go a long way to ensuring that the scheme benefits entire communities.”

The Big Survey 2023

Our national survey of more than 4,100 over 50s in Scotland captures their views and experiences, identifies the challenges older people face in Scotland today, and broadly tracks how lives have changed over time.

Read The Big Survey 2023

First Minister congratulates recipients of New Year Honours 2024

YOU ARE A STAR! – AWARD FOR FISCHY MUSIC’S STEPHEN

First Minister Humza Yousaf has paid tribute to Scotland’s recipients of the New Year’s Honours.

In recognition of exceptional contributions to public life and in keeping with the theme of ‘giving’, this year’s awards celebrate recipients that have contributed to their community and undertaken voluntary services.

Writer and academic Alexander McCall Smith receives a Knighthood for services to literature.

Among those receiving the CBE are Professor Peter Hollingsworth, the Director of Science and Deputy Keeper of Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden, recognising his services to science, and Gayle Gorman, the former Chief Executive of Education Scotland for services to education and charity.

Former football player and manager Alex McLeish receives an OBE for services to charity, including his work with the Catherine McEwan Foundation which supports people with colitis and Crohn’s.

Other recipients of the OBE include former British Lions player and Scotland rugby captain Rob Wainwright, founder of Doddie Aid, a mass participation fitness event to raise funds to aid research into Motor Neuron Disease, which former teammate Doddie Weir fought. OBEs have also been awarded to Catherine Magee, CEO of Dyslexia Scotland, and Alex Reedijk, General Director at Scottish Opera.

There’s an MBE for Fischy Music founder Stephen Fischbacher for services to mental health and wellbeing. Edinburgh’s popular Fischy Music have been celebrating their 25th anniversary this year.

MBEs go to Elinor Middlemiss, Chef de Mission for Scotland’s 2026 Commonwealth Games squad for services to sport, Chief Commissioner Susan Walker of Girlguiding Scotland for services to young people, and Robert Christie, head coach of the Scotland Paralympic Lawn Bowls Team.

Fundraiser Keith Morton receives the British Empire Medal for his charitable work with Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS). The same honour goes to volunteer Elizabeth Kinnear for her work with the Guide Dogs Perth and District Branch.

Chief Superintendent Carol McGuire, Chief Superintendent Faroque Hussain and Police Constable Stephanie Rose receive The King’s Police Medal. The King’s Fire Service Medal is awarded to Acting Director of Asset Management Iain Morris and Watch Commander David Gibson. The King’s Ambulance Service Medal is awarded to Ambulance Care Assistant Alistair MacDonald.

The First Minister said: “Those recognised in the New Year’s Honours list have made exceptional contributions to communities across Scotland and beyond. These Honours are particularly important in light of the ‘giving’ theme and it is clear that all of the worthy recipients have given so much.

“The service and dedication of these individuals – from the arts, education and sport to business, charity, community cohesion and science – has benefited people across communities and promoted Scotland around the world.

“I congratulate those members of Scotland’s blue-light services who have been awarded The King’s Fire, Police or Ambulance Service Medals. Our emergency services display incredible fortitude daily and deserve our continued appreciation for keeping people and communities across Scotland safe, every day of the year.”

The Scottish Secretary has also congratulated the many people from across Scottish society who have been recognised in the New Year Honours List.

Speaking as King Charles’ New Year Honours were announced, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “My warmest congratulations go to all the Scottish recipients of the King’s New Year Honours. Scots are well represented in His Majesty’s list, which showcases the best of Scottish talent – including sport, the arts, community, education, business, charity, policing and healthcare.

“Scottish rugby centurion Stuart Hogg, who announced his retirement earlier this year, is rightly celebrated [MBE] for his services to the game. Former Scotland rugby captain Rob Wainwright is also honoured [OBE] for his extraordinary work raising money for research into motor neurone disease through the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. From the world of football, former player and Scotland, Rangers, Hibs and Motherwell manager Alex McLeish is recognised [OBE] for his services to charity.

“I welcome best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith being knighted for services to literature, academia and to charity. And much loved star of BBC comedy Two Doors Down, Arabella Weir, has been rightly recognised [MBE] for her work with the arts and young people, not least through the Kirkcaldy Festival of Ideas.

“And it’s poignant that just days after the 35th anniversary of the Lockerbie atrocity a leading police officer in the investigation, Stuart Cossar, is recognised [MBE] for his services to the inquiry and bereaved families.

“This year, more than 100 Scots have been awarded honours. The achievements of such a diverse number of our fellow Scots is truly inspiring.”

The Honours list.

Honours are announced twice annually on the Monarch’s official birthday, and at New Year.

Make a New Year resolution to help cats and owners flee abuse by becoming a volunteer fosterer

A charity which provides free and confidential foster care for pet cats while their owners flee domestic abuse is looking to recruit more volunteer fosterers this January.

Cats Protection’s Lifeline service offers temporary care for cats in a home environment, enabling survivors to get to safety knowing their cat will be looked after until they can be reunited.

But in order to help more people, the charity is in desperate need of more volunteer fosterers who can offer a temporary home to a cat in need.

Cats Protection’s Lifeline Manager Amy Hyde said: “Many people want to start a New Year by making a resolution to help others, and joining our Lifeline team as a volunteer cat fosterer could be the perfect opportunity.

“Not only do our volunteers help cats, they also provide an opportunity for victim-survivors to get to safety knowing that their beloved pet cat will also be safe.

“We know that in cases of domestic abuse, pets are often targeted as a way to control or coerce a victim-survivor into staying. And as most refuges are unable to accept pets, this can be a significant barrier for people seeking support and safe housing.

“By offering free and confidential cat foster care, Lifeline helps to remove that barrier and gives victim-survivors the time, space and opportunity they need to get to a safe place.”

Referrals to Lifeline – previously called Paws Protect – come from either owners themselves or a support worker. Once in Lifeline’s care, cats are given a full health check before going to a Lifeline volunteer fosterer who is provided with everything they need to make sure the cat remains happy and healthy until they can be reunited with their owner.

After supporting cats in the South East for almost 20 years, Lifeline was recently able to expand into Yorkshire, East Anglia and the Midlands.

“We’ve fostered over 330 cats during 2023, enabling over 200 owners to get to safety but we need more cat fosterers to turn it into a UK-wide service.” said Amy.

Cats Protection is the UK’s largest cat charity, helping an average of 157,000 cats and kittens every year through a network of over 210 volunteer-run branches and 34 centres.

To find out more about becoming a volunteer, or other ways to support the Lifeline service, please visit www.cats.org.uk/lifelineservice

If you are experiencing domestic abuse or know someone who is, please contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, anytime on 0808 2000 247.

UK takes lead of NATO Rapid Response Force

UK forces are taking lead of NATO’s rapid response force on 1 January 2024, placing thousands of soldiers on standby and ready to deploy within days.

NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) was created after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and deployed for the first time for the collective defence of the Alliance after Russia’s full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Taking leadership of the VJTF will see the UK provide the majority of forces in the task force. The United Kingdom’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps will serve as the land component command.

The leadership position is rotated annually among NATO members, and the UK now takes over from Germany, which led the force in 2023. The UK previously led the task force in 2017.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The UK is at the heart of NATO. By heading up NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force in 2024, we are taking another leading position in the Alliance, sending a clear message that Britain is stepping up to our global defence commitments as NATO enters its 75th year.

“The UK’s Armed Forces stand ready, at a moment’s notice, to defend our Allies and protect the British national interest.

“The world is a more dangerous and contested place than it has been for decades and we need NATO more than ever. The UK and its allies are committed to supporting NATO and what it stands for.”

The VJTF is the highest-readiness element of NATO’s larger Response Force (NRF), which also includes air, maritime and special operations forces. In 2024, VJTF land forces will comprise some 6,000 troops, with the UK’s 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team – the ‘Desert Rats’ – at its core.

This is the same force that led the response during the activation of NATO’s Strategic Reserve Force in Kosovo last year. The brigade consists of a light cavalry regiment, and four light-mechanised infantry battalions with enabling artillery, engineering, logistics, and medical regiments. Major units include the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, the 4th battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, and the 2nd battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment.

The MOD’s 2023 Integrated Review Refresh was clear that NATO will remain the cornerstone of UK defence and security. The UK remains committed to offering the full spectrum of defence capabilities to the Alliance, and the past year has underlined the continued importance of the Alliance’s role in deterrence and defence.

Our existing commitments to NATO include UK leadership of the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) mission in Estonia, with a brigade of troops held at high readiness in the UK to reinforce Estonia and the wider Baltic at a time of crisis.

Around 1,000 UK troops are persistently deployed to Estonia as part of the eFP mission – known as Operation Cabrit. This year, over 1,500 UK troops participated in Exercise Spring Storm in Estonia, the first time the UK conducted a brigade-sized deployment as part of Op Cabrit.

The UK also provides a Reconnaissance Squadron to a US-led NATO battlegroup in Poland, as well as a Ground-Based Air Defence system (Sky Sabre) to help protect Polish airspace.

In 2024, nine NATO Allies – UK, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Latvia, North Macedonia, Romania and Albania – will contribute to the NATO Response Force. The Alliance will transition the NATO Response Force into the new Allied Reaction Force in mid-2024.