YAS celebrates Silver Award in recognition of its commitment to the military community

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been awarded the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award which recognises its contribution to supporting the military community.

The prestigious award recognises the service’s commitment to supporting both current and former members of the Armed Forces – veterans, families, reservists and cadet instructors – and being a valued employer of choice for those leaving the military.

Prior to submitting a nomination for ERS, it is compulsory for the employer to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC), an agreement that pledges an employer’s intent to support the military community.

AFC and ERS are nationally-recognised; Silver ERS Award winners will be celebrated regionally at an awards event in York on 14 September 2023.

Nabila Ayub, Head of Diversity and Inclusion for Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said the service was delighted to receive the prestigious award.

She said: “Supporting the armed forces is a culture we’re working hard to promote at Yorkshire Ambulance Service and the move from Bronze to Silver is a testimony of the commitment and support we’ve placed since signing the pledge to the Armed Forces Covenant.

“We’re a forces-friendly employer with team members who are currently, or were previously, members of the armed forces, many of whom are members of our newly-formed Armed Forces Network. We welcome job applications from the armed forces community, and we are committed to providing a supportive career environment for all our colleagues.”

The Armed Forces Network, which has 58 members, has been created to offer support and comradeship for staff and volunteers of the armed forces community within Yorkshire Ambulance Service. The network provides a voice to the community and creates a platform to improve the workplace experience of our veterans, reservists and family members working and volunteering.