Six organisations on Merseyside have been recognised for their support to the Armed Forces community including to cadets, servicemen and women, Reservists, veterans and their families.
The organisations were each presented with the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Bronze Award. The ERS encompasses Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards, and recognises employers that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to Defence and the Armed Forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.
The organisations who received the ERS Bronze Award were:
- Liverpool Veterans HQ
- Veterans in Sefton
- The Brunswick Youth and Community Centre
- Century Scaffolding Systems
- Freemans Industrial Supplies
- Warwick Development
The presentations were made by Col Dave Ashman, Commanding Officer of Army Reserve unit 156 Regt RLC, at the Regiment’s headquarters in Allerton, Liverpool, with the Lord Mayor of Liverpool’s Consort Cllr Roy Gladden in attendance.
On the same day, employment charity Tomorrow’s People signed the Armed Forces Covenant at 156 Regt’s Army Reserve Centre in Bootle. The Armed Forces Covenant is the first step towards the ERS Awards.
Col Ashman said: ‘The biggest thing for us as an organisation is to have employers that are hugely supportive of their employees who serve with us as Reservists. What benefits do our Reservists take back to their day jobs? The skillsets that they learn within our regiment are immediately transferrable to the civilian workplace, not just in terms of technical qualifications but characteristics such as pride, punctuality, leadership and commitment.’
For more information about the Armed Forces Covenant and the ERS Awards, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-employer-recognition-scheme
