Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award for Thames Water and Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award for Thames Valley Police

Thames Water and Thames Valley Police have received the highest honour for their commitment to recruiting and supporting ex-servicemen, women and reservists.

Britain’s biggest water company is now an Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award holder for its military recruitment strategy, which includes attending careers fairs, and holding CV writing workshops and mock interviews.

Military personnel often have skills relevant to the water industry, from engineering and incident management to leadership and logistics.

More than 100 roles have been offered to military personnel by Thames Water in the past five years, taking the total number employed to more than 300 from a 7,000-strong workforce.

Thames Water’s director of HR Lynne Graham said: "We're proud and honoured to have been named gold award winners.

"Building a diverse workforce is key to our success, and former military personnel often have the skills we're looking for, from logistics and leadership to engineering and incident management.

"Not only do we get high calibre recruits who can help us shape the future of the water industry, they get the chance to work for a business that will respect and support them every step of the way in their new career."

Thames Valley Police has also been awarded the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award for showing outstanding support for the Armed Forces community.

The force signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2018.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Bosley, of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Unit, led the force’s award submission.

He said: “As someone from a military background myself, demonstrating support for our armed forces communities is really important and I am extremely pleased that our work and practices have been recognised as Gold standard.”

The force employs approximately 30 officers and staff reservists and continues to work in partnership with a number of military resettlement organisations to promote policing careers to those that have served and their families.

Deputy Chief Constable Jason Hogg said: ”Thames Valley Police is proud of this recognition, reflecting the respect and support we provide to all those in our armed forces communities.”

Thames Water and Thames Valley Police were two of 140 organisations to receive gold, taking the total number to 493.

Others include NHS trusts, educational institutions, financial services, hotels, charities, law firms, football clubs and museums.

Nearly 50 per cent are a small or medium-sized enterprise and 72 per cent are private companies, demonstrating the wide range of organisations offering support to the military community regardless of size, sector or location.

Defence minister Leo Docherty said: “I would like to thank all the organisations who have proven their support for the defence community during such unprecedented and challenging times.

“The vast range of those recognised this year demonstrates how employing the armed forces community makes a truly positive and beneficial impact for all employers, regardless of size, sector or location.”

To win gold, organisations must provide 10 extra paid days leave for reservists and have supportive HR policies in place for veterans, reserves, and Cadet Force adult volunteers, as well as spouses and partners of those serving in the armed forces.