Joy Allen, PCC Durham succeeds Matthew Scott, PCC Kent as Chair

After five years Matthew Scott has stepped down as Chair of the BlueLight Commercial Board and welcomed, along with the other Directors of the Board, Joy Allen into the role from the 24 October 2024.

Matthew, elected Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent in 2016, has been involved with BlueLight Commercial since its inception in 2020 and was instrumental in the setting up and shaping of the company.

Joy, elected Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham in 2021, has been a Board member for BlueLight Commercial since May 2022 and brings a wealth of experience having spent much of her career working in the public sector. She was formerly elected Mayor of Bishop Auckland in 2019 and was a cabinet member for Transformation, Culture and Tourism.

Lianne Deeming, CEO, BlueLight Commercial commented: “Matthew’s support in the development of BlueLight Commercial has been invaluable and we thank him for the tremendous work he has done, as well as being grateful for his ongoing support to the activities and benefits delivery the company has built around police and fire needs.

“We are fortunate to have Joy step up to the Chair position following her contributions as Director. I am delighted to have this opportunity to work closer with Joy with the increased focus around national collaboration during the next year.”

Matthew Scott, outgoing chair, added:  “After serving as the first Chair of BlueLight Commercial it has been a real privilege to watch the company grow over the last four years into the trusted commercial partner of policing; one which is respected by government, PCCs, policing and suppliers.

“I thank the Board members and employees of BlueLight Commercial, whose expertise and commitment to doing the right thing has been instrumental in getting BlueLight Commercial to where it is today.

“I congratulate Joy Allen on her appointment to Chair of the Board and wish her every success. Joy will be a great advocate for the company and I can relinquish my post knowing BlueLight Commercial is in good hands.”

Joy Allen, incoming Chair, said: “Having served as Director for two years I am honoured to be able to increase my support of BlueLight Commercial in the role of Chair of the Board. I am a firm supporter of the company and the value it brings to policing and the blue light sector, encouraging collaboration and innovation whilst delivering a more sustainable future.

“In my role of Chair I will work closely with the Board and Senior Management team at BlueLight Commercial to evolve the organisation, aligned to the priorities of our members and Policing Vision 2030 to deliver value back to the public purse and, crucially, into front-line policing.

Joy was instrumental in the adoption of the BlueLight Commercial Social Value Toolkit for the development of the pioneering Investigative Hub in Durham.  She said: “Using the toolkit, to date we have amassed over £25m in social value, with the promise of more to come. I’m also working closely with Blue Light Commercial in my role as national Lead for Environment and Sustainability, an important agenda that cannot be overlooked. 

“I firmly believe that using the processes developed with BlueLight Commercial we can all make a far bigger contribution to our local communities.”

About Joy Allen

Joy Allen was elected as Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham in May 2021. Joy represents the Labour Group and is the APCC Joint Lead for Environment & Sustainability, the APCC Lead for Addictions and Substance Misuse, the Deputy APCC Lead for Road Safety and Emergency Service Collaboration. She has lived and worked in County Durham and Tees Valley for most of her life and spent most of her career working in the public sector for Durham Constabulary, Sedgefield Borough Council, Middlesbrough Council and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service as Head of Service and Area Manager for Community Safety. She was elected to Durham County Council in 2013 and was appointed to the Cabinet in 2015 where she held the Safer Communities Portfolio. In 2017 Joy was appointed to lead Durham County Council’s Transformation Programme. She was elected Mayor of Bishop Auckland in 2019 and was a cabinet member for Transformation, Culture and Tourism. Joy holds a BA Hons in Management and Administration, MSc in Security and Crime Risk Management and an MBA from Durham University Business School.

About Matthew Scott

Matthew Scott was elected the Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent in May 2016. His role is to set policing priorities for the county by consulting with the public and putting together a Police and Crime Plan. He then holds the Chief Constable of Kent Police to account for the delivery of that plan. PCCs also set the council tax precept for policing, are responsible for the overall policing budget, and fund projects which support victims of crime and promote community safety. Matthew served as Chair of the BlueLight Commercial Board from June 2020 to October 2024 and is also the national Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) portfolio lead for Mental Health.