Military bridging supplier, WFEL, has been awarded the coveted Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award, which acknowledges employers who have signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant and provided exceptional support to the armed forces community and defence by going above and beyond their Covenant pledges.

To achieve a Silver Award, employers need to have achieved the Bronze Award level and to have shown flexibility towards the annual training commitments and deployment of Reservists, whilst also supporting the employment of cadet force adult volunteers, service leavers, and military spouses and partners.

Ian Anderton, Managing Director of WFEL, said, “We are absolutely delighted to receive this Silver Award. Our decision to sign the Armed Forces Covenant was a visible and very real demonstration of our continuing commitment to supporting the Armed Forces. We recognise that employing military trained personnel is highly beneficial to our business and we value the skills and qualities that veterans, reservists or ex-military personnel bring to the company.We are committed to continuing to employ and support individuals with an Armed Forces background and are very proud to uphold our Armed Forces Covenant.”

WFEL counts amongst its employees a number of Reservists and Veterans and supports activities on behalf of the armed forces community. WFEL signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant in late 2018, and subsequently received the Bronze Award in 2019.

WFEL’s support of Reservists - by offering the flexibility needed to plan and fulfil their annual training and mobilisation commitments - came to the fore recently during the COVID-19 crisis when a number of North West Reservists were on standby for deployment to provide support to the NHS.

The Employer Recognition Award scheme recognises the different levels of commitment provided by employers and allows the Ministry of Defence to publicly thank and honour those organisations for their support. Launched in 2014 by the Prime Minister, the prestigious initiative was created to recognise and reward UK employers for their support and commitment to Defence.

Johnny Mercer, Minister for Defence People and Veterans, said, “I am grateful for the positive attitude and flexible policies organisations have adopted towards the defence community, which is testament to the fantastic contribution our serving personnel, veterans and their families can make to any organisation.”