The Chamber are proud to have signed the the Armed Forces Covenant – a document acknowledging our commitment to the ongoing support of anyone involved with the Armed Forces Communities. We have also achieved the Bronze level of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme and are currently in the process of making our Silver application.
As part of this, we are pleased to announce the appointment of our new Armed Forces Champion, Lauren Ashford. Lauren will be the main point of contact both internally and externally in respect of our work in support of the Armed Forces Community. Lauren will work with HR to help develop and enhance our existing policies to ensure that these are strengthened to support cadets, reservist and veterans in our workforce and to further promote the benefits of employing armed forces personnel.
She will be organising number of fundraising campaigns to support different Armed Forces charities, and ensuring that our staff and Members have an understanding of the covenant, encouraging Member businesses to sign up too.
In March, Lauren attended the BCC’s signing of the Armed Forces Covenant event which acknowledged the BCC’s ongoing commitment to supporting the Armed Forces, their veterans and families. The event was attended by Adam Marshall, the then Director General of BCC, and Major General Simon Brooks-Ward.
Of her new position, Lauren said:
“I am delighted to act as Armed Forces Champion for Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce. We value everyone associated with our Armed Forces Community and will strive to offer the support and recognition they deserve. The Armed Forces and their families are a very welcome addition to our two counties, and we want to ensure that they feel fully integrated into a civilian working environment without fear of prejudice or discrimination.
We recognise the value that all members of the Armed Forces Community can bring to an organisation and look forward to continuing with our advocacy of the Community and working increasingly closely with it moving forward.”
Dawn Hardman, HR Director at the Chamber, said:
“We are looking forward to working with Lauren in her ambassadorial role and further enhancing our working practices to reflect the valuable contribution our Armed Forces make to our community.”
If you would like to find out more about signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant, you can contact Lauren directly via [email protected] or visit our website here: https://hwchamber.co.uk/armed-forces-covenant-what-you-need-to-know/