In December 2024, the trustees of Thin Blue Line UK were ecstatic to learn that its founder, Dr. Gary Craig had been awarded an MBE for his Public and Charitable Services in the 2025 New Years Honours by his Majesty King Charles III.
Gary established the charity in 2012 and since then has worked tirelessly to lead Thin Blue Line UK to the success it is today, it is only right that he was recognised for this hard work and dedication to his role. Gary travelled down to London with his family to receive his MBE on Friday 27th June 2025 from HRH the Princess of Wales at Buckingham Palace.
After receiving his award Gary explained how he felt...
"I am so delighted to finally be able to talk about this, to say that this came as an absolute shock is an understatement. I cannot express in words how humbled I am that this has happened, and I want to take this opportunity to say a few thanks.
The charity would simply not exist without the dedication and passion of all the trustees, Andrea, Beverley, Lisa, Jack and Tony thank you for your belief and for what you bring to the team. To my wife Linda and family who must put up with the madness that comes with being married to me - I am forever grateful. To my colleagues and Senior Management Team within PSNI thank you for your support and for belief in what we are trying to do.
The charity means so much to me and I truly hope that this honour helps open doors, enables conversations to take place and ultimately raises the profile of the Thin Blue Line UK, which I hope with all my heart means that we can help more officers. Policing is an incredibly difficult role and there is so much pressure on officers who simply want to do their best and help others. They see things that will stay with them forever and this can have a massive impact on their personal happiness and mental health. We want to give officers the confidence to reach out, ask for help and get it when they need it. We hope that as we move through 2025, we will be able to offer more to those who need it and continue to look out for those who are brave enough to wear the uniform".
From us all here at Thin Blue Line UK congratulations Gary! We are so happy you have been recognised for your hard work and dedication to the thin blue line and know you had an amazing time receiving your award, well done!
