We have gained a prestigious gold award from the Ministry of Defence's Defence Employer Recognition Scheme – just three years after VIVO Defence Services' formation.
The Employer Recognition Scheme recognises employers that support the defence and armed forces community and align with the Armed Forces Covenant.
We at VIVO are committed to providing social value to the communities we serve and, since starting in 2022, have introduced policies to help the armed forces community. We were also recently ranked 17th in the top 50 list of British Employers of veterans.
These policies include pledging at least one fifth of our new recruits come from a military connection - which we achieved in 12 months. Now more than 11 per cent of our 1,500 strong work force are veterans.
We also operate a guaranteed interview scheme for those with a military connection meeting the essential role criteria and have an Armed Forces Kinship Network providing support for former service personnel colleagues, giving them a collected voice within VIVO and mentoring and peer support.
In addition to this, we partner with the Royal Navy, Army and RAF Benevolent Funds, the Launchpad Veterans Charity and others.
And we regularly attend armed forces careers fairs, provide shadowing and secondment opportunities so those transitioning out of military service can get trade experience, offer 12 days’ paid leave for reservists and cadet force volunteers and offer staff two annual volunteering days for social value initiatives. In addition, we sponsor numerous armed forces community initiatives through our social value community fund.
Examples include a recent Three Peaks Challenge and a D-Day Normandy cycle ride to raise money for armed forces charities and, in partnership with the RAF Benevolent Fund, fully funding for more than 70 RAF veterans to attend five-day friendship breaks at activity centres with like-minded former military personnel. This is geared towards helping combat social isolation and a video of the most recent initiative can be seen here.
We also recently refurbished facilities for veterans at Altcar Training Camp, near Formby, Merseyside, through our volunteering and social value activity.
Our Chief Executive Officer at VIVO Defence Services, Jerry Moloney, said: "I am really proud that we have received a prestigious gold award three years after starting out and so soon after being ranked among the UK’s top employers of veterans.
“We are totally committed to supporting the armed forces community through the work we do and the social value we provide and gaining this gold award is testament to all the work people across VIVO, including all the veterans that work for us, have contributed to achieve this.”