Five Local Businesses Pledge To Support the Armed Forces Covenant at the South Yorkshire Military and Business Exhibition

South Yorkshire’s first-ever Military and Business Exhibition took place Tuesday — jointly organised by the Doncaster Chamber of Commerce and the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Yorkshire and Humber — which saw over 20 local businesses exhibit and upwards of 100 attendees.
 
The event was in aid of promoting the fantastic potential employees in the form of service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families and our Cadet Forces to local businesses and how they can support them in their civilian life.
 
Delegates also discovered how military personnel can benefit their business through the many transferable soft and specialist skills they have gained during their service.
 
Key speakers from across the community were there to encourage businesses to commit and sign the Armed Forces Covenant and then apply for the MoD’s Employer Recognition Scheme Awards, from Bronze to Gold, dependent on the level of engagement and advocacy.
 
Commodore Phil Waterhouse (Naval Regional Commander for Northern England and the Isle of Man), Lieutenant Colonel David Rhodes (Chairman of Reserve Forces and Cadets Association Yorkshire & Humber) and WO2 Richard Lewis (150 Royal logistic corps and Doncaster Council) were some of the high-profile speakers who all shared their experience within the defence and supported the commitment to an MoD’s Employer Recognition Scheme Award and its benefits for employees and the business workforce through transferable skills.
 
Before the official close of the event, five resident businesses of Doncaster — who had already expressed their commitment — co-signed the Armed Forces Covenant alongside Commodore Waterhouse.
 
This includes KH Plant Trading, The Developer Academy, Fire Risk Consulting, City of Doncaster Council and Doncaster Chamber who gained their MoD’s Employer Recognition Scheme Award — at various levels in a show of support — in hopes of setting the tone for the rest of South Yorkshire’s business community to follow suit.
 
Reflecting on the mornings' activities, Commodore Phil Waterhouse, said: “I was both honoured and humbled to attend and speak at the combined Chamber/RFCA event in Doncaster this morning.  Our service people, whether regulars, reservists, veterans or Cadet Force volunteers and our supporting families are of the highest order and it was a delight to extol their virtues to open-minded and supportive companies and individuals. A wonderful event and I commend everyone involved.”
 
These thoughts were also echoed by Lieutenant Colonel David Rhodes, who said: "I would like to thank Doncaster Chamber of Commerce for partnering with us at the recent Military Business Expo. It was exciting to see so many supportive and engaged local businesses and to share with them the tangible benefits of employing veterans, reservists and cadets. We salute you Doncaster businesses and employers!"
 
Information on how to become a forces-friendly employer can be found here.