Speaker Evening - David Hatcher

Biography -  David Hatcher Retired Police Cmdr - ShelterBox Response Team - Promise Development UK Ltd 

David is 67 years of age and has spent the majority of his career in policing, rising to the rank of Chief Superintendent before finally retiring in 2004.  After 34 years in Kent Police including a secondment to the Metropolitan Police, he served another 5yrs with British Transport Police as Area Commander for the South East of England and the Continent, then Head of People Development for the Force.  

On promotion to Inspector he specialised in police media relations for 5 years, instigating the National Media Training Programme for police officers, before it was adopted at the Police Staff College Bramshill.  While with BTP he instigated a scheme that was adopted by the Metropolitan Police then nationally, to introduce Police Community Support Officers.   

Having held many operational Area Commander and other command posts he was a specialist firearms and public order commander, and a National Cardre Commander involved with anti-terrorism, major public order, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear incident management.  Experience of policing major incidents includes  • Herald of Free Enterprise Ferry Disaster,  • Major flooding, snow, hurricane damage,  • Ladbroke Grove and Potters Bar rail disasters, as well as a number of rail fatalities and central London public order and terrorism incidents.  

For 15 years he was the regular police presenter on BBC Crimewatch UK and has appeared in well over 300 television programmes representing the British Police.  Other programmes include the Ali G Show, Open Air, The Wogan Show, CNN, BBC, ITV and Channel 4 slots. 

 A regular speaker at the National Emergency Planning College since 1998, Davd formed Promise Development UK Ltd in 2004.  David now specialises in people development, media training and emergency planning training.  As Associate Lecturer for the National Emergency Planning College (2004-2011), he ran courses both on and offsite for the UK Cabinet Office, principally involving media and strategic decision making issues in disaster management.   

 A Rotarian since 1990 (Rotary Club of Medway Past President and Paul Harris Fellow), David has organised charity fundraising for local and international beneficiaries.  He organised holidays for youngsters with disabilities and in 2009 founded the Rotary Childrens Hospice Family Holidays to Disneyland Paris.  David also volunteers at Demelza Hospice for Children and is an ambassador for both this and the Ellenor Childrens Hospice in Kent. 

On retirement in 2004, David undertook charitable reconstruction work in Sri Lanka after the Asian Tsunami. He then began fundraising for ShelterBox, raising tens of thousands of pounds for the charity. In Sept 2009 David trained as a ShelterBox Response Team member, delivering humanitarian aid to Haiti earthquake in 2010 and 2011,  • the Philippines after the super typhoon JUAN hit Luzon (Nov 2010). In  • Sept 2011 & Jan 2012 he led deployments to Brazil for floods and landslides.  • Oct 2012 flooding and refugees in Niger, Sub Saharan Africa.  • 2013 the Philippines responding to Super Typhoon HAIYAN.   • Sept 2014 – he led a Response Team to flooding and Landslides in Nepal • March 2015 – led a Response Team to Super Cyclone damage in Vanuatu 

Although running his own business focusing on leadership and presentation skills, he now dedicates the majority of his time as a volunteer Response Team Member, Speaker Trainer and Fundraiser for ShelterBox.