Leeds Rugby Foundation would like to congratulate our very own, Director of Operations, Bob Bowman who has been awarded the highly prestigious Queens Police Medal.
Bob joins Rhinos captain Kevin Sinfield who has been awarded the MBE for his services to Rugby League in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Bob has been a long-serving West Yorkshire Police Officer of 26 years. He was previously a community officer in the Chapeltown district of Leeds and was a detective in the Child Protection Unit.
He spearheaded Leeds anti-knife crime initiative which won the International Crime Reduction award.
Bob was also awarded the Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2004 which saw him explore the role of Police in schools in the USA, before he received the Churchill medal from the Queen in 2006.
More recently, Bob has been at the forefront of training and delivering the ethos of restorative practises and restorative justice.
Leeds Rugby Foundation Chairman, Neil Kaiper-Holmes commented: "Bob Bowman is simply one of those people that you only meet rarely in life: never too busy to talk or to help. He has been an example to colleagues and public alike for many years and this award really is justly deserved. It is amazing that he has so much energy left for this charity after all his hours working with the Police Force but there is no doubt that the Leeds Rugby Foundation and the public at large are much richer with him around."
Neil also commented on the success of Kevin Sinfield who was named an MBE, he said: "I can't think of another sportsman who deserves this award more than Kevin. His dedication to the game is matched only by his modesty off the field and his untiring, and often unsung, commitment to the Community. He is a role model for any young person wanting to pursue a career in sport and a gentleman who is respected throughout the world of Rugby League and beyond"
On receiving his Queens Police Medal, Bob commented:
“I am amazed that I have been put forward and received this prestigious award. I have always worked on the principal of treating people as I would expect to be treated myself and to be as fair as possible. My role involves working with a vast and diverse range of partners and I would like to pay thanks to them in supporting my work. A major partner, for a number of years, has been the Leeds Rhinos/Leeds Rugby Foundation and the staff, players, fans and volunteers have all helped me greatly with joint initiatives. It’s also a privilege to achieve the award in the same list as Kevin Sinfield MBE! Finally huge thanks to my wife Steph and daughters Jess, Faith and Molly, their love drives my energy.”