British APCO Announces the Ian Thompson Bursary Recipients 2025
The bursary is open to applicants of all ages in the early years of working or studying in the field of critical communications in public safety within the UK and Ireland.
Yesterday evening, British APCO announced the recipients of the 2025 Ian Thompson Bursary.
The third year of applications produced the impressively high calibre of entries we have now become accustomed to for the bursary inspired by British APCO former Chief Executive Ian Thompson; a true advocate for education and developing new and upcoming talent within the public safety industry.
The bursary is open to applicants of all ages in the early years of working or studying in the field of critical communications in public safety within the UK and Ireland. The judging panel selected four recipients based on strong entries, who collectively come from a wide range of public safety and IT backgrounds and interests. The resulting broad-ranging cohort aligns with the strategic aims at British APCO to connect the emergency services, commercial organisations, and academia, using information technology to achieve an emergency response for the public that is world leading.
Chair of the judging panel and British APCO Trustee, Becca Jones, commented on the calibre of the applications saying,
"It's brilliant to see the Bursary going from strength to strength, This year we had the largest number of applications so far and the standard was really high. It's fantastic to see the Bursary going to four worthy winners and I hope they take full advantage of the opportunities it will bring to them."
Reflecting on the success of the bursary since its launch, Chris Lucas, British APCO Chair, added,
“The Ian Thompson Bursary got off to a flying start two years ago and the momentum has continued to build over the past year. It is wonderful to see the increasing breadth of public safety communications fields engaging with the bursary this year; this can only be of benefit to the development of the field.”
To learn a little more about the well deserving 2025 Ian Thompson Bursary winners, in the following pen-pictures.
Aaron Peter Page – Actica Consulting
Aaron is a Senior Technical and Management Consultant, delivering technical and strategic support exclusively to a National Secondary Responder while maintaining strict vendor neutrality. His role is defined by leveraging data-driven insights while blending collaborative leadership to ensure optimal outcomes across key areas of radio and communication services across multiple client departments.
Motivated by the ability to combine data analytics, automation, governance, and innovation to elevate public safety and support front-line responders, Aaron plans to research and develop the foundations for a solution to the potential and substantial implementation risks posed by the use of AI. His objective will be the development of a Public Safety AI Implementation framework, the aim of which is to guide the conversation by; capturing the landscape, identifying AI Implementations within Public Safety Processes, providing guidance on how to assess if a User Organisation is ready, and ensuring the Solution-Problem Pair is appropriate.
“The Ian Thompson Bursary is an incredible way to direct appreciation and enhance the careers of young talent within the Public Safety Sector. As a recipient I am incredibly honoured, being recognized for my contributions to the sector is truly humbling. I feel privileged to be part of a dedicated, mission-critical community that works tirelessly to keep people safe. This award is not only a personal achievement but also a reflection of the sector engaging with and preparing the next generation of thought leaders and technical gurus, building on the incredible work being done every single day.”
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Hayley Jepson
As the Project Manager responsible for the mobilisation of the Emergency Services Mobile Communication Programme for both North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, and the Regional Coverage Lead for Yorkshire and The Humber 3ES (Police, Fire and Ambulance), Hayley’s passion for public safety, care for the well-being of communities and recognition of the vital role emergency services play in saving lives and ensuring safety is clear.
With a desire to improve Emergency Services Operations through the use of Technology, Hayley recognises the inefficiencies in current systems and would like to contribute to improving response times, coordination, and overall effectiveness of emergency services.
North Yorkshire Police have recently published a strategy where the Force seeks to make best use of Automation and AI. Hayley hopes to use the bursary to explore this further to ensure AI is responsibly implemented allowing it to serve as a powerful tool to augment human capabilities to ensure public safety.
“I am absolutely delighted to hear the news I have won the bursary; it is a fantastic opportunity for me both in my career and personal life and I can’t thank BAPCO enough. I have a vested interest in Critical Communications having worked on ESMCP for a number of years, and I’m eager to learn and take best practise from other public sector organisations overseas. At North Yorkshire Police we are also keen to understand how AI and robotics can assist policing and this is something I am particularly interested in also.”
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Kenneth Low
Kenneth is the Head of Law Enforcement Economics reporting directly to the Home Office Chief Economist, and John Black and Simon Parr in ESMCP. With responsibility for the economic assessment of 18 major law enforcement programmes, Kenneth is focussed on ensuring the great work in public safety is communicated more widely, especially where economics adds value to that message.
His main area of interest is the collaboration between sectors (public, private, academia) and Kenneth plans to use the bursary to expand this aspect to bring a more insightful understanding of the roles, contribution and difficulties of partners showcasing what economics can bring to British APCO, its user organisations, suppliers and partners, so that economic and social value is well understood and can be used collaboratively across teams.
“I am delighted and privileged to be awarded the Ian Thompson Bursary by BAPCO. It is an exciting opportunity for me to enhance my skills, to learn and deepen my understanding of how the organisations within BAPCO and its external partners collaborate to ultimately provide better service to society. I am very grateful to the Trustees for selecting my proposal as I believe 2025 will be a great year to grow and build on previous work that will not only benefit me but also BAPCO and its partners.”
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Lauren Kambamba – Sopra Steria
A Software Developer for Sopra Steria, Lauren is interested in how new technologies can make emergency response and disaster management better. This includes using advanced communication systems, real-time data, and AI to improve decision-making and response times.
Lauren plans to use the bursary to better public safety operations using innovative technologies such as using AI solutions to predict and respond to incidents effectively, to encourage best practices and new technologies across the industry, and also continue to foster a collaborative environment where public safety professionals can learn from each other and work together to address common challenges. As a young woman who has recently transitioned into tech, Lauren is deeply committed to giving back to the community and empowering others, especially women, to achieve their goals.
“I’m truly honoured to be awarded the Ian Thompson Bursary. It’s an incredible opportunity, and I’m grateful for the chance to grow in the public safety tech space. This award will allow me to connect with industry experts, gain valuable insights, and develop my skills further.”
