Community Engagement

Veteran care home shares hub with Warwickshire residents

The Royal British Legion (RBL) is a national charity which supports members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families.  Providing vital support to serving and ex-serving personnel, their dedication and work led them to receiving their Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award in 2022. One of the ways they provide support for veterans and their families is…

Gold standard employers honoured for supporting Armed Forces

Fourteen organisations from across the wider West Midlands area attended an awards ceremony in Shropshire to receive their Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Awards, recognising their exceptional level of support to the Armed Forces community. Held at Lilleshall House and Gardens in Shropshire – also home to one of the UK’s National Sports Centres and the Royal British Legion’s Battle Back Centre…

Midlands based employers receive coveted Ministry of Defence Award

Twenty six employers from the West Midlands region have been presented with their Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Awards. The West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association’s awards took place on Tuesday 26th September, at the National Memorial Arboretum. The ERS awards were launched in 2014 to recognise employer support for the wider principles of the Armed Forces Covenant. The…

Green-fingered Reservists help to improve community garden

A community centre in Birmingham is growing its links with their local Army Reserve unit after working with them to improve the centre’s green outdoor spaces for its users. Reservists from A Company 5th Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (5RRF) in Sheldon worked at Highfield Hall Community Centre (HHCC) to remove waste wood from tree felling, and remove overgrown intrusive vegetation impacting on the…

Building blocks of resilience, adaptability and leadership

Exploring and improving your leadership style, building resilience and adaptability were the key themes of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s recent 21 in 21 webinar. Launched in March 2021, the 21 in 21 scheme is providing mentoring to 21 aspiring women in different business sectors and career stages, across the Coventry and Warwickshire region. With the support of individual mentors who have…

University College Birmingham signs up to support forces

Discussing how veterans, Reservists and those in the military community can bring tangible skills to the civilian workforce was a key theme for an online event hosted in partnership with the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce. Moving the annual event to the virtual sphere to allow for Covid-19 safety, employers from around the Greater Birmingham region were invited to listen to inspirational key…

Motorbike conservation gets veterans on the road to recovery

A new health and wellbeing project for ex-servicemen and women at Birmingham Museums has helped four local veterans get back on the road to recovery by conserving vintage motorbikes from the city’s collection. Volunteering for Veterans was set up by Birmingham Museums in 2021 to support former members of the local Armed Forces community by providing skills development opportunities alongside social and wellbeing…

School gives thanks to those who serve

A Birmingham-based school is one of the latest education providers to formally pledge its support to the wider forces community. King Solomon International Business School in Aston teaches children from foundation year through to sixth form.  Offering a wide and vibrant curriculum, the school’s key visions and values are to promote diversity, peace, kindness and mutual respect – based on the virtues associated…

Reservist awarded at Dudley’s Kindness Awards

Members of the Dudley community have been recognised for stepping up to make a difference to the lives of others in their local area. Dudley Council for Voluntary Service (Dudley CVS) recently hosted its AGM and Kindness Awards 2021 at the Brierley Hill Civic.  This year’s awards theme celebrated the abundance of kindness in Dudley’s communities, highlighting the achievements of individuals and volunteer…

Community events round-up

One of the key outputs of our Association is our work to advocate and promote support for the Reserves, cadets and wider military family.  This involves working with employers, local authorities, youth and the wider communities on different projects and events to raise awareness and develop new relationships between the military and civilian communities. Over the past 18-months face-to-face activities have been largely…