Being Forces Friendly Podcast

Sally Orange MBE is an Army veteran, endurance runner, Guinness world record holder and mental health campaigner.

In this episode, she chats to DRM Senior National Account Manager Tony Blaney about her amazing mental health projects, from running marathons dressed as a piece of fruit to swimming the Hudson, the importance of mental health awareness, her own struggles with depression and anxiety and her motivation to help others.

Don’t forget to rate Being Forces Friendly on Spotify and check out our social media channels. 

Links from this episode:

Sally’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-orange-mbe-95948741/

Armed Forces Covenant: https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/

DRM Twitter: https://twitter.com/DRM_Support

DRM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/defence-relationship-management-drm/

DRM YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrzGlgCmls6DXoqZ_LRGJiQ

The guest of today’s episode, Heledd Kendrick is the founder of an award-winning social enterprise Recruit for Spouses and a military spouse herself. Sitting down with DRM Senior Account Manager Tony Blaney, she speaks about why she felt the need to start her business, issues military spouses and partners face and also the incredible qualities and talents they can bring to business.

Don’t forget to rate Being Forces Friendly on Spotify and check out our social media channels.

Links from this episode:

Recruit for Spouses: https://recruitforspouses.co.uk/

Armed Forces Covenant: https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/

DRM Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/DRM_Support

DRM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/defence-relationship-management-drm/

DRM YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrzGlgCmls6DXoqZ_LRGJiQ

In this new season, we focus on personal stories of different members of the Armed Forces community, to understand their unique experiences and hear more about their lives. In Episode 1, DRM’s National Account Manager Ben Onions chats to Army veteran Michael Neville who is now a manager at Netcompany. Mike talks about his passion for Army aviation, flying the Apache helicopter in combat, and transitioning to a career in digital technology.

Don’t forget to rate Being Forces Friendly on Spotify and check out our social media channels. 

Links from this episode:

Armed Forces Covenant: https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/

Netcompany: https://www.netcompany.com/en-GB

CTP: https://www.ctp.org.uk/

DRM Twitter: https://twitter.com/DRM_Support

DRM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/defence-relationship-management-drm/

DRM YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrzGlgCmls6DXoqZ_LRGJiQ

What support can leavers of the Armed Forces access and why should employers hire ex-military staff?

In this episode, Nat Haynes (Assistant Director RM, DRM) sits down with Lorraine Cadle and James Moore from Career Transition Partnership (CTP), the official provider of resettlement, to discuss the support CTP provides for leavers of the Armed Forces, from resettlement training courses and workshops to assistance in job searching. They talk about the importance of supporting those leaving the Military, their unique set of transferrable skills and the benefits employers get from hiring ex-military staff. Both guests speak from the position of being Service leavers themselves and offer great personal perspective as well as invaluable tips and advice for both ex-military personnel and businesses and employers.

CTP: https://www.ctp.org.uk/

CTP phone line: 0203 162 4410

Forces Employment Charity (formally known as RFEA): www.forcesemployment.org.uk

Armed Forces Covenant: www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/

Since 2014, Defence Relationship Management (DRM) has partnered with organisations across the UK, helping them understand the value of signing the Armed Forces Covenant and building mutually beneficial partnerships with Defence. In this episode, DRM’s Director Neil ‘Jacko’ Jackson sits down with the Senior Management team to chat about DRM as an organisation, providing an insight into its structure and mission.

Tracy Halpin (Operations Manager), Tony Blaney (Senior Account Manager), Eloise French (Assistant Director Communications) and Paul Greene (AD Corporate Communications) discuss their teams’ roles in DRM, the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC), Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and also DRM’s plans for the future. This episode is an excellent opportunity to learn more about DRM and ways businesses can take initiatives in supporting Defence.

Useful Acronyms:

RFCA - Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations

NAM - National Account Manager

REED - Regional Employer Engagement Director

DRM GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/defence-relationship-management

DRM Twitter: https://twitter.com/DRM_Support

DRM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/9197738

Armed Forces Covenant: https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/

Defence Employer Recognition Scheme: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-employer-recognition-scheme/defence-employer-recognition-scheme

The host for this episode, Sam Berkson, National Account Manager at DRM, talks with two reservists that work for Northern – Ryan Wells and Geraint Bartie.

Northern signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2021 and subsequently achieved a Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award in 2022. By being a supportive employer in this way, Northern enables their reservists to balance both their civilian careers as well as their military service. In the episode, Ryan and Geraint outline the benefits and some of the challenges that reservists may face, as well how their military service positively impacts their civilian jobs, and vice versa.

Armed Forces Covenant: www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/

This episode’s host is Kate Lole, one of three Regional Employer Engagement Directors based in the South East. She talks to Shaun Cunningham of Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, Laura Farrow of South Central Ambulance Service and Stuart Bosley of Thames Valley Police. 

During the episode, Kate and our guests discuss the importance of the Armed Forces Covenant, the Employer Recognition Scheme and how these programmes helped shape their support to the Armed Forces community. 

Music:

Since 1922, veterans with health conditions have been supported into employment by The Poppy Factory. The first of these were disabled veterans of the First World War, who came to work producing Remembrance products for The Royal British Legion. Today, its support also reaches far beyond the factory into communities across England and Wales, helping ex-Forces job seekers on their journey into all kinds of employment.

In this episode Neil ‘Jacko’ Jackson (Director, Defence Relationship Management), speaks with Deirdre Mills (Chief Executive, The Poppy Factory), Gina Spacey (Employment Consultant, The Poppy Factory) and Jack Finn-Kelcey (Veteran supported by The Poppy Factory, with employment support and training funded by ABF The Soldier’s Charity) about the work that The Poppy Factory does in support of the RBL Poppy Appeal, and also the importance that employment support plays in delivering positive outcomes for veterans.

Learn more about the Poppy Factory’s important work and the positive impact it has on veterans like Jack, who are looking to apply their military skills to new careers post service.

The Poppy Factory: https://www.poppyfactory.org/

Royal British Legion: https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/

Office for Veterans Affairs: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-for-veterans-affairs

Combat Stress: https://combatstress.org.uk/

Help for Heroes: https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

The Veterans Gateway. Advice and support for veterans & ex-forces | Veterans' Gateway (veteransgateway.org.uk)

The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) encourages employers to support Defence and inspire others to do the same. The scheme encompasses bronze, silver and gold awards for employer organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to Defence and the armed forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.

In episode 15, Jan Cox, Regional Employer Engagement Director for Merseyside, Cheshire and the Isle of Man talks to Matt Burrows, Director of Self Build Heroes, to discuss their relationship with Defence. Self Build Heroes first signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2019, and this year have been recognised with an Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award. They chat about all things advocacy, best practice, and what getting to Gold means to them as an organisation.

Self Build Heroes: www.selfbuildheroes.co.uk/

Please note this episode was recorded virtually due to Covid-19.

Music:

In this episode Neil ‘Jacko’ Jackson (Director, DRM) spoke to Caroline Bull, a former combat medical technician, who served five years in the British Army. After a successful career in the private security industry, Caroline has spent the past year volunteering with RE:ACT as part of the UK's response to Covid-19 and she is now pursuing a new career as a paramedic. They discuss her military experience, personal transition into a civilian career, volunteering with RE:ACT and taking on a career change at any age.

RE:ACT: www.re-act.org.uk/

London Ambulance Service: www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/

Veterans Work: www.veteranswork.org.uk/

Veterans Work Podcast: omny.fm/shows/veterans-work-t…k-the-podcast!podcast

Lloyd’s Military Network: www.lloyds.com/lloyds-military-network/