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…
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…
Cadet Expansion Programme continues to thrive
The number of cadets and volunteers currently involved with the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and school units in the West Midlands and surrounding counties has successfully increased by over a third. Since the inception of the Cadet Expansion Programme (CEP) in 2012, an extra 2262 cadets and 137 new Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs) are now located in over 42 units. This includes…
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…
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….
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…
Black Country and West Birmingham NHS pledges support to Armed Forces community
On Monday 8th November we welcomed seven NHS organisations from the Black Country and West Birmingham Integrated Care System (ICS) to sign the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC) at a virtual signing. This is the first ICS to sign up to the Covenant within the West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association’s (RFCA) region. The Black Country and West Birmingham ICS comprises 15 local…
Record breaking fifty employers receive coveted Ministry of Defence Award
Fifty employers from the West Midlands region have received their Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Awards from West Midland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association (West Midland RFCA). The ERS was launched in 2014 to recognise employer support for the wider principles of the Armed Forces Covenant. The scheme encompasses bronze, silver and gold awards for the employers that pledge, demonstrate…
Employers recognised for long-term support to Armed Forces
Two organisations from the West Midlands have achieved the highest honour available for companies who support Defence – for the second time. Bureau Veritas UK and Pertemps Limited have both previously been awarded a Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold in 2017 for their outstanding support towards the Armed Forces community. In the five years since they were originally awarded the accolades, their continued…