- Skipton Building Society has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting current and former members of the armed forces into new careers
- The mutual publicly pledges its support to the wider Armed Forces community, including serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and military families
- In signing, Skipton has become the 700th organisation in Yorkshire and the Humber to commit to the Armed Forces Covenant
- Skipton’s commitment coincides with Armed Forces Week [19-24 June], a celebration of the Armed Forces which culminates with Armed Forces Day on Saturday 24 June
Reaffirming commitment
Ahead of Armed Forces Week, Skipton Building Society has publicly reaffirmed its commitment to helping serving and former military personnel into new careers.
At an event at Skipton Castle, colleagues with links to the armed forces were joined by Skipton Group CEO Stuart Haire, Skipton Building Society Chair Gwyn Burr and Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hill as the building society formally signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant [AFC].
The Covenant is described as “the nation’s commitment” to those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and focusses on helping those people ensure they have the same access to government and commercial services as any other services – including opportunities to start a new career.
An average of 15,000 people leave the armed forces each year, and by taking steps such as signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant, organisations commit to being forces-friendly.
From Skipton Building Society
Stuart Haire, Chief Executive of Skipton Group, said: “It’s a proud moment to be recommitting to the Armed Forces Covenant, and even more so to be the organisation that takes the count of Yorkshire signatories to a landmark 700.
“We know all too well what an incredible resource of skill, knowledge, and experience individuals with time in the armed forces can bring to an organisation like Skipton Building Society. We’re lucky to already have many colleagues from the armed forces community, but this is our bugle call; when it comes to a career after or alongside your military service, we want to turn members of the armed forces into members of our workforce.”
Partnering with Defence
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hill, Commanding Officer of 4th Battalion, The Royal Yorkshire Regiment, said: “We are thrilled that Skipton Building Society has become the 700th business to sign the Armed Forces Covenant. This is a real milestone for the Yorkshire and Humber region, and we are delighted that we can mark this occasion with such an iconic Yorkshire employer.
“This is a commitment by Skipton Building Society to invest in the Armed Forces community by treating those who serve, and their families, fairly and respectfully. We are very grateful to all Armed Forces Covenant signatories for their support to our serving personnel, reservists, veterans, and cadet force adult volunteers, and the fact that there are now 700 such businesses makes it clear what a great place Yorkshire and the Humber is to be part of the military family.
“Skipton Building Society is now able to reach the next milestone – achieve award status through the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme, an opportunity we encourage all our signatories to pursue.”