Regular Forces

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…

Military police support local policing in partnership programme

Serving members of the Royal Military Police (RMP) have joined forces with the South Staffordshire local policing team in a new partnership initiative. Starting on the 19th September, Corporals Katie Butlin and Michael Knapper have embedded with neighbourhood officers in the south of the county. They have been vetted and trained to the same standards as their existing officers and will be part…

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…

NMITE showcases opportunities for military community

The third annual NMITE Military to Business Showcase opened its doors at a brand new venue on Reserves Day in June, welcoming guests and exhibitors to the Shell Store in Hereford. Hosting the event in collaboration with Landau Limited – and with support from our Association and sponsors the Shell Store, Coffee Cart, the Chambers of Commerce and Shaun Leavy – organisations from…

West Midlands Platinum Jubilee Tattoo

At the end of April the Armed Forces and Cadet Forces in the West Midlands came together to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and military support for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. West Midland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association were pleased to be able to support the evening event at the University of Birmingham, which had a musical and sports theme….

Midlands Army Athletics Championships

Army athletics teams from across the Midlands and Wales were the first to compete at the brand new Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Located in Perry Barr, the stadium will play a key part in the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games in July.  Working in partnership with Birmingham City Council, the Army from Headquarters West Midlands hosted the Midlands Army Athletics Championships as a showcase…

Breaking the bias for International Women’s Day

Members of the Birmingham and wider Midlands community came together to celebrate West Midlands Women’s Voice’s first International Women’s Day event in over two years. Held at Millennium Point in Birmingham, the event was run in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority, with support from our Association and Millennium Point. With a focus on breaking the bias within sports, arts and culture,…

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…

Soldier brings Christmas cheer to Romanian orphanages

A Shropshire-based soldier and his wife are putting smiles on the faces of orphaned children and adults in Romania, bringing Christmas gifts, clothing and medicines from the UK. Warrant Officer 2 David Hill lives in Down Hatherley near Innsworth in Gloucestershire with his wife Sarah. Apart from last year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, David and Sarah have travelled to Romania to visit orphanages…

British Army unveils ‘Future Soldier’

The British Army has unveiled ‘Future Soldier’, its most radical transformation programme in over 20 years. Following on from the Integrated Review and the significant increase in defence spending announced by the Government last year, Future Soldier demonstrates how the Army is modernising to address next-generation threats across the globe. This will be bolstered by an additional investment of £8.6 billion in Army…