Regular Forces

Armed Forces friendly employers take home Gold Award

Fifteen businesses from the West Midlands region have been presented with the prestigious Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award at a special ceremony in Cardiff. The joint regional event held on 17th November at HMS CAMBRIA saw employers from Wales, West Midlands and Wessex Reserve Forces & Cadets Associations’ (RFCA) recognised for the outstanding support they give to the Armed Forces community….

Running Fusiliers raise funds for mental health causes

Six Army Reservists from A Company Fifth Regiment of Royal Fusiliers (5RRF) in Birmingham have completed an intense 300-mile run from Wiltshire to Newcastle-upon-Tyne – in just 72 hours. Tackling the challenge head on with sheer determination, each pair of runners covered approximately 33 miles per day, for three days. Setting off at 4am from the First Fusiliers Regimental Headquarters in Tidworth, the…

Tennis club supports those who serve

A tennis club in Wolverhampton has bounced back from the pandemic to open its courts to the Armed Forces including the Royal Air Force (RAF) to host military racket sports tournaments and training events.  Established in 1885, Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis & Squash Club (WLTSC) caters for all levels of tennis and squash players, welcoming members from all backgrounds within their community. For the…

Herefordshire walking football sessions for the forces community

The Herefordshire Football Association has recently confirmed details of free weekly walking football sessions, with food and drinks afterwards. Two walking football sessions have been launched on the 3G pitch off of Widemarsh Common in Hereford, for those connected to the Armed Forces community and those connected to the men’s mental health community. These sessions are being run in partnership with the Defence…

The Wigley Group support Gold medal dreams of Paralympic athlete

Three times World Champion cyclist Jaco van Gass — who is sponsored by Midlands property investment company The Wigley Group — has been selected to represent Team GB at this summer’s Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The former paratrooper has been a brand ambassador for the company since their sponsorship of him began in 2018, and is a driving force behind the Wigley Support…

Empowering Our Youth

Over 50 guests joined our Engagement Team for a webinar focused on exploring how the Armed Forces support youth and community groups in our region. Representatives from the Armed Forces often visit schools and colleges to deliver careers talks and showcase the roles on offer in the Military, but their work with youth within the community can often go unseen. Hosted in partnership…

West Midland RFCA celebrates Black History Month with webinar

On 14th October West Midland RFCA hosted a webinar to celebrate Black History Month.  The keynote speaker at the event was Horace Barnes, Chairperson at Why Are West Indian (WAWI) project.  The WAWI Project is a voluntary organisation set up in 2009 to offer workshops to schools and to bring communities together. The presentation by Horace Barnes covered some of the history of…

ERS Gold Award winners celebrated

From today, we are joining a national celebration of those employers in our region who have achieved the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold award, the Ministry of Defence’s highest level of recognition for employers who support and advocate for the Armed Forces Community. There will unfortunately not be an awards ceremony this year due to the Covid-19 restrictions, but we still want to…

A spotlight on inspirational women in the Navy

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of women being deployed at sea in the Royal Navy, we’re shining a spotlight on inspirational women in the Navy and their fantastic achievements. One of these inspirational servicewomen is Commodore Mel Robinson (ADC MSc FCIPD), the current Commander of the Maritime Reserves. Commissioned in 1993 as a warfare officer, she served in a number of frigates and…