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Shropshire hospital gets £6 million grant in boost for veteran healthcare

The UK’s first dedicated orthopaedic centre for Armed Forces veterans is to be built in Shropshire – thanks to a remarkable £6 million charitable grant. The centre is to go up at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RJAH), a world-renowned organisation based near Oswestry. The hospital had initially launched a £1.5 million appeal in October 2018 to…

Armed forces provide support to public services in coronavirus outbreak

The Defence Secretary has announced a COVID Support Force to assist public services with the response to the coronavirus outbreak.  As of 23rd March, there are 250 personnel deployed to assist civil authorities with the response.  They form part of 20,000 armed forces personnel currently stood at readiness to take part. The armed forces have contributed dozens of specialist military planners to Local…

Record number of companies supporting the region’s Armed Forces

This week was a notable achievement for West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association (RFCA) region as Love Your Postcode Ltd became the 500th company within the West Midlands region to sign the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) and pledge their support to the Armed Forces family. The AFC was introduced by the Ministry of Defence in 2014 and is used across the country…

Celebrating the success of the Cadet Expansion Programme

The Government’s Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP) has successfully delivered the ambitious target of 500 parading schools across the UK, six months earlier than the proposed timeline. Originally launched in June 2012 by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, the programme aimed to deliver 100 new cadet units in English state-funded schools by September 2015. Following its initial success the Government committed to…

Employers set their sights on top Defence awards

Our Association’s Employer Engagement team delivered two separate Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Workshops during January for those employers who submitted expressions of interest for the silver and gold level awards under the scheme. This years’ workshops were kindly supported by Bryan Alexander from the Career Transition Partnership, Inspector Lucy Sewell from Warwickshire Police and Stephen Lees from Jaguar Land Rover.  Both organisations are…

Almarose Hotels & Resorts sign Armed Forces Covenant

Hotel management group Almarose Hotels & Resorts has formally pledged its commitment to support those who have served or are currently serving within the Armed Forces. Backed by the government, the Armed Forces Covenant relies on the people, communities, and businesses of the UK to actively support it in order to make a difference. The official pledge recently signed, means Almarose promise to…

37th Signal Regiment hit the slopes

Exercise Dragon Sorbet is 37th Signal Regiment’s annual skiing expedition to Kirtchdorf, Austria.  This year thirty-one personnel participated in both alpine and ski touring, with the to aim to complete the Ski Foundation Level 1-3 courses depending on varying abilities. Upon arrival to Gasthoff Neuwirt in Kirtchdorf, the team wasted no time in descending into the village to collect skis and boots.  The…

Carl Chinn’s guided tour for Gold Alumni

On 29th January West Midland RFCA hosted their annual Gold Alumni Association (GAA) event. This year the event was held in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter with a private tour provided by local historian Carl Chinn. Our GAA is now made up of 17 companies who have met all of the criteria and been awarded one of Gold Employer Recognition Scheme Awards. Of the…

One Army in Action: Reservists mobilise for operational tour

Army Reservists made history by mobilising for the British Army’s largest ever deployment of the Army Reserve in a single, formed unit under its own command. Approximately 240 Reservists from 7 RIFLES and 5 FUSILIERS have been mobilised for the British Army’s contribution to the United Nations peacekeeping mission on Cyprus.  Their first parade as a formed battlegroup saw them swap their regimental…

Coventry City Football Club formally sign the Armed Forces Covenant

Coventry City Chief Executive Dave Boddy joined Royal Naval Reserve Commander Phil Sparke on the pitch to sign the Armed Forces Covenant at half time during their club’s match against Portsmouth Football Club. In October 2019, Coventry City FC became only the second major club in the West Midlands to sign the Armed Forces Covenant.  In doing so, they committed written pledges of…