A housing association has received an award in recognition of the work it does to support defence personnel.
Platform Housing Group has received the bronze award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, or ERS.
The group signed up to a Ministry of Defence initiative to pledge its support for the armed forces community by signing an Armed Forces Covenant; this was officially approved in September 2021.
The ERS scheme encourages employers like Platform Housing Group to support defence and inspire others to do the same.
It encompasses bronze, silver, and gold awards for organisations that pledge, demonstrate and advocate support to the armed forces community and their families.
Platform Housing Group is committed to helping ex forces personnel find new careers in social housing.
Gerraint Oakley, director of growth and development, won an award at The Ex-Forces in Business Awards.
He joined the RAF after his A Levels working in helicopter squadrons and the UK mobile force, before beginning a career in construction.
Elsewhere in the group, Karl Martin and Eddie Cochran are both service managers within Platform Property Care.
Cochran was a marine engineer who worked his way up to become a sub mariner for 11 years, and then worked on ships for a further 12, during which time he was a chief marine engineer mechanic as well as specialising in nuclear warfare.
He was on board one of the first ships to sail into the Gulf in 2003, and sailed and worked in both the Falklands and Kosovo.
Martin joined the army when he was 18 and spent 27 years in a tank regiment, before progressing into management, logistics and training.
He completed tours in Bosnia, Northern Ireland and Iraq and Afghanistan.
Emma Hillier, resourcing manager at Platform Housing Group, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be recognised as an organisation which actively recruits and supports ex-military personnel.
“There are so many ex-forces men and women who make such a positive difference in the working world and we encourage and celebrate that within our own organisation.
“Thank you to all those who have been worked so hard in order for this to be achieved.”
Platform Housing Group owns a total of 46,000 homes across England.
The group completed 1,448 homes in 2019/20 and built more social-rented homes (981) during the past two years than any other housing provider in England.
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