At the prestigious Welsh Veterans Awards ceremony in Cardiff yesterday (Thursday 30th June) Monmouthshire County Council was named the Employer of the Year for its support for ex-Armed Forces personnel and their families.
As an employer, the Council has proactively demonstrated forces-friendly credentials in its recruiting and selection processes, and actively ensured that its workforce is aware of the authority’s positive policies towards issues facing people who are serving or who have served. This award comes two years after the Council received a Gold award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.
In January 2020, the Council also affirmed its commitment to working with the Armed Forces community by signing the Armed Forces Covenant. The covenant was signed together with the five Town Councils (Abergavenny, Monmouth, Usk, Caldicot and Chepstow), making Monmouthshire, at the time, the only local authority in the UK to have the principal authority and all town councils signing the covenant in unison.
Council Leader, Cllr. Mary Ann Brocklesby said: “I’m absolutely delighted and honoured that we have been named Employer of the Year Award at the Welsh Veterans’ Awards. I thank all those across the organisation whose efforts in this important area have received this well-deserved recognition.
“We are fortunate to have colleagues working with us who previously served in the Armed Forces, so we know first-hand the tremendous contribution and the skills that those who have served their country can bring to an incredibly diverse range of roles within Monmouthshire County Council. We continue to be committed to supporting, and offering opportunities to, ex-Armed Forces personnel. I would encourage anyone interested in finding out about working with us to get in touch with our team to start this conversation.”
Armed Forces Champion, Cllr. Peter Strong added: “Our continued commitment to supporting our Armed Forces community and making sure they are treated fairly remains a key priority for us. These individuals put their lives on the line to ensure we are able to live in a safe and fair society, and it’s our duty to ensure we honour them in the same way.”
Support for those who have served is also offered by the recently opened Monmouthshire Veterans’ Support Hub, which meets in Abergavenny Library every Monday from 10am – 12pm.
