National Pubwatch Honorary Treasurer Receives British Empire Medal For Services To The Night-Time Economy
National Pubwatch (NPW) honorary treasurer and regional representative Trevor Pepper has been recognised with a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the Birthday Honours List 2025 for services to the night-time economy and the hospitality industry.
BEM’s are given in recognition of meritorious civil or military service.
Trevor has played a crucial voluntary role in supporting National Pubwatch, both regionally in the West Midlands, where he provides a daily point of contact for thousands of pub staff, and nationally, by being an active member of its Committee since 2004. He has been a key part of the National Pubwatch Conference team for the last 18 conferences and has just started to work on his 19th.
National Pubwatch is the voluntary organisation that supports over 800 pubwatches across the UK. Pubwatches are groups of licensees who voluntarily work together, with the support from local partners such as the police to address crime and anti-social behaviour and create a safer night time economy for staff and customers.
Pepper started his Pubwatch journey back in 1998, as a Special Sergeant attached to the city centre team in Coventry, where he collaborated with the police licensing team, the city centre police team and the newly formed Pubwatch.
In 2002, he took ownership of the newly formed City Ambassadors, a team of four in Coventry City Centre, who focused on making the night time economy safe, after years of increasing violent crime
In the same year he took on the role of Operations Manager with the portfolio for community safety and crime reduction for CV ONE Ltd who managed Coventry city centre.
He worked in partnership with the local Pubwatch and regular meetings were held with licensees and police to ensure crime continued to drop. This was achieved, under his guidance, by bringing special constables into night-time economy policing, working with ambassadors and door supervisors, community safety partners and introducing regular patrols. Subsequently, Coventry was promoted to fourth safest city in the UK.
On top of this he was working voluntarily as a Special Sergeant and later a Special Inspector with West Midlands Police from 1982 until his retirement in 2015. He worked in Coventry city centre till 4am most weekends.
As a NPW Committee member he has been the driving force in the planning and delivery of its annual conference. He also mentors new regional representatives and performs a vital role as honorary treasurer, ensuring the retention of sponsorships and that scarce funding is directed at initiatives that promote good practice advice and education.
All of this has taken place while he has been working full time. In 2012, he worked in the University of Warwick Community Safety Team where he was quickly given the lead for night time economy and safer socialising. Under his leadership it was one of the first universities in the country to achieve Purple Flag status.
He now works for Stratford-on-Avon District Council as a CCTV manager within the community safety team. In this role he has been taking the lead in ensuring the CCTV system is fully functional and works closely with Warwickshire Police and the wider community safety partnership to promote a safe secure district. He has also taken the opportunity to seek out funding to expand the CCTV system and enhance the service. He also works closely with the Pubwatch in Stratford upon Avon sharing advice and guidance.
Trevor said: “Getting this BEM is very much a great honour. I have always been committed to making sure that the late-night economy is a safe and secure place for people to socialise.
“This is recognition, not just for me, but for NPW as an organisation and for all the local Pubwatches that are doing a hugely important job in ensuring that the evening economy is safe.
“NPW is very much a part of the hospitality industry and our support is vital to keeping staff and customers safe and secure and allowing safer socialising.”