A Milton Keynes bus company has shown its support for heroes of the Armed Forces by being awarded the Gold award from its Armed Forces Covenant.
The award was made after Stagecoach, the national group of local bus operator Stagecoach East, made a series of commitments to serve Armed Forces Professionals and Veterans.
These included attending 29 Career Transitional Partnership events - Ministry of Defence employment fairs - where 49 Drivers and Engineers were recruited, and working alongside numerous military-based charities by offering support and, in some cases, free travel, especially for cadets. These include the Royal British Legion, Help for Heroes, Scotty’s Little Soldiers and Veterans in Logistics.
Also, raising over £14,500 for charities, striking partnerships with the Department for Work and Pensions and Ministry of Defence to offer interviews to any Veteran or their families on enquiry, and recruiting an interpreter who worked alongside coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The company supports homeless Veterans into employment, working alongside local authorities, and offers free travel on Armed Forces Weekend and Remembrance Day for serving personnel, veterans, cadets and their families.
David Boden, Business Development Director of Stagecoach East, said, “We are so proud to have been awarded Gold recognition by the Armed Force Covenant. There are not many companies in the country to have this award, which just underlines the importance of our work with Armed Forces Professionals and how highly we value our Veteran colleagues”
“Our work is all about service to our communities, so it is only right that we should support those whose service has helped to protect those communities”, David concluded.
Claire Miles, Stagecoach’s Chief Executive officer, added, "I am incredibly proud of our team for their dedication and focus to achieve the Gold Standard Award for our Armed Forces Covenant. Knowing how much work has gone into achieving gold makes this very special and is a testament to our continued commitment to supporting those who serve and have served our country."
Meanwhile, Simon Tramalloni, Co-Lead of Stagecoach’s Veterans Network, said, “This is a great achievement, especially over the timescales completed. The awards ceremony will be held on the Thursday 28 November in London. The Veterans Minister and other Members of Parliament will be present for this prestigious ceremony. This is a proud moment for our Veterans Network and, in turn, the business. A lot of people have given their time and support, especially over the last three years in order for us to strive to where we are now!”
