What’s Been Happening
The last 3 months have been very exciting for the Engagement Team at Greater London RFCA, we have had a total of 45 organisations sign the Armed Forces Covenant over the last three months in Greater London, publicly demonstrating their commitment to treating Service Personnel and their families with fairness and respect both throughout and after their service.
The month of June was especially busy due to the fact we were celebrating Armed Forces Week which provided the perfect opportunity for new organisations to sign the Armed Forces Covenant with many also re-signing to reaffirm their commitment to supporting the Armed Forces Community. A number of councils from around Greater London hosted flag raising ceremonies throughout the Armed Forces Week and used the opportunity to re-sign the Armed Forces Covenant. The most notable of these include:
-London Borough of Merton Council
-Westminster City Council
-London Borough of Bromley
-London Borough of Hounslow
By signing the AFC an organisation demonstrates its intention to support the Armed Forces community and provides the signatory with the opportunity to be recognised by the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) award.
An ERS award shows that the recipient is delivering tangible support for the Armed Forces community. The Ministry of Defence (MOD), as the representative of the HM Government, welcomes these commitments and is grateful for the support being pledged and provided.
Key Events
We have had the pleasure of holding multiple events over the past 3 months ranging from the Intelligence Challenge where 8 teams from Greater London-based employers were invited to compete against each other in a military-style analysis exercise. BNY Mellon claimed 1st place, with HFW coming in close 2nd.
In Armed Forces Week employers were the City Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association hosted the annual City Briefing Dinner where future leaders from some of the UK’s largest companies gathered at Guildhall, City of London to learn more about the Reserve Forces and the benefits Reservists can bring to their organisations.
We also made the announcement about the 38 Employers who have been awarded the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award 2023. The ERS acknowledges employers who have provided exceptional support to the armed forces community, and defence as a whole, by going above and beyond their covenant pledges. We are also expecting over the coming weeks the announcement of the winners of this year’s Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Awards, so do keep an eye on our socials!
Upcoming Events
- Gun Salute being held in Honour of the Queen Consort’s Birthday (July)
- Lord Mayor’s Defence and Security lecture (September)
- Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Awards Ceremony (October)
- Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Awards Ceremony (October)
- Lord Mayor’s Music Show (November)
- RAF Leadership Course insight events – (Oct/Nov)
- SSAFA Carol Concert (December)