Every month, we are shining a light on employers across the West Midlands who are going above and beyond to support the Armed Forces community. These stories offer a valuable insight into what it means to sign the Armed Forces Covenant. This month, we spoke to Jon Sykes, Veteran and Partnerships Coordinator at Serve and Protect Credit Union.
Serve and Protect Credit Union
Serve and Protect Credit Union is a Gold ERS not-for-profit organisation designed to support people across five key public sectors: police and police staff, all branches of the military (including civil servants), fire and rescue services, and health and social care. Its purpose is to help improve financial resilience to ensure members are better prepared for emergencies through savings, while also promoting financial education across these sectors.
Where borrowing is needed, funds from members’ savings are used to support others within the same community. It’s an exclusive financial institution that is gaining increasing awareness, built on a simple principle: people helping people.
Leaving the RAF to join Serve and Protect
Jon Sykes joined the Royal Air Force in July 1986 at the age of 16.
“Looking back, the kind of financial education I now deliver would have been invaluable to me then. I would argue that it’s something that should be taught in schools.”
He spent nearly 37 years in a people-focused career, leaving the RAF in November 2022. After his service, Jon was given the opportunity to support others on their financial resilience journey. For him, it was a simple decision to continuing to help people.
During his RAF career, particularly in the final 15 years, he worked extensively in welfare roles, making this transition a natural fit. Moving from a large organisation into one that supports those same communities required an open mindset, but four years on, he remains fully committed to the role.
Serve and Protect’s ERS Journey
Serve and Protect’s involvement with the Armed Forces community dates back to 2015, when an inquiry highlighted the lack of financial education for those leaving military service. The credit union was one of three invited to support the Ministry of Defence, leading to the creation of the Joining Forces Credit Union. Its 10-year anniversary was marked in October last year, followed by a celebration event at the Houses of Parliament in January.
The organisation’s journey through the Employer Recognition Scheme began with a Silver Award in 2019, following CEO Paul signing the Armed Forces Covenant. This was quickly followed by achieving Gold in 2020. The revalidation process was proudly completed at the Ministry of Defence on Armed Forces Day.
For Serve and Protect, the Covenant is not just a signing; it represents a genuine commitment. Everything within it is actively delivered.
“The revalidation process offered me valuable insight as I transitioned into a civilian organisation. Putting it all together was like a jigsaw puzzle because we had to gather evidence across multiple areas. The support from the West Midland RFCA was instrumental, and I strongly encourage others to seek guidance when going through the process.”
“If something doesn’t apply to your organisation, it’s okay to say so. In many cases, Serve and Protect found we were already meeting requirements through everyday work, such as engagement with the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force, as well as supporting training, cadet programmes, and national and local initiatives.”
They also ensured internal policies supported reservists and cadet volunteers, including employees actively serving in roles such as 605 Squadron at Cosford. External advocacy formed the final part of the process, including testimonials, speaking engagements, sector programmes, and support for defence charities.
Although the process is detailed, Jon emphasises the importance of preparation, asking questions, and seeking support. For him personally, it demonstrated how his military experience could translate into a commercial environment, making him more well-rounded and proud of his work.
Maintaining Gold
Since joining Serve and Protect, Jon has been struck by how many colleagues across police, fire, rescue, and healthcare backgrounds are also ex-military. The organisation’s commitment to the Covenant and its Gold status carries real recognition and respect.
Rather than treating the award as a one-time achievement, the team made a conscious decision to keep it alive. The Covenant is treated as a living document, regularly updated and embedded across the organisation. Jon serves as the Armed Forces Champion, supported by representatives across different business areas.
“By maintaining this approach, the aim is to ensure that future revalidation requires minimal effort because the principles are already part of daily operations.”
There is strong organisational buy-in, from HR to all colleagues, reinforcing that this is more than a certificate; it’s an ongoing commitment. Serve and Protect is also keen to support other organisations on their journey.
