This year, Amey is marking 15 successful years of partnership with the Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI), a national charity that supports veterans and people with disabilities through employment and training. Amey has spent more than £4.3m with the RBLI and its social enterprises over the partnership, contributing more than £730k in social value to the economy.
The partnership, which began in 2008, has enabled RBLI to create five more employment opportunities every year through its social enterprises to veterans and people with disabilities. Already this year alone, RBLI’s factories have produced over 26,000 signs for Amey’s highways and rail network.
Each year, 16,000 service men and women move from the armed forces to civilian lives, embarking on their second career following the forces. Around 1,000 of these veterans are likely to leave with injuries from conflict or poor mental health. RBLI provides support to veterans across the UK, as well as employment opportunities via their social enterprises.
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the partnership, Amey and RBLI veterans visited Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company (SBMC), RBLI’s Scottish social enterprise, where they shared their stories and ideas on how to strengthen the collaboration. They also witnessed the impact of the partnership on the lives of the employees, who benefit from a supportive work environment, personal development opportunities, and a sense of purpose and belonging.
Peter Anderson, Managing Director of Transport Infrastructure at Amey said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating this key milestone. Amey and RBLI are proving that businesses can come together to provide industry-leading products and services whilst also genuinely effecting long-term positive change for those who need it most.
“Visiting the SBMC site and listening to both Amey and RBLI veterans highlights the importance of what we do and the positive impact that we, as a business, can have on improving individual lives for the better.
“Our Armed Forces are the epitome of endurance, duty and sacrifice and at Amey, we are proud to be associated with this community of individuals. Not only supporting RBLI, but also recruiting veterans into roles at Amey. Our relationship with RBLI is a cherished one and one that will continue to grow.”
Michelle York, Director of Social Enterprises (Commercial) said: “It’s our partnerships with longstanding customers which enable us to grow. Amey has been key to this over the last 15 years, enabling us to provide employment and development for veterans, and to keep up with our competitors by investing in new technology. Our continued partnership makes a difference every day to the lives of veterans and people with disabilities by providing vital employment and training.
“Buying from social enterprises like ours benefits so many people, not just the immediate individuals who are manufacturing. The movement to buy social creates a better environment and financial position for so many people across the country. It isn’t just the people who work in our social enterprises who benefit. Their families and friends see the growth in their confidence, their self-belief and their role as active members of society. In the social enterprises, we have some fantastic loyalty from our customers and we want to thank Amey for their amazing longstanding commitment to us, which has been key to our growth and the impact we make on lives every day.”
Both Britain’s Bravest and Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Companies, RBLI’s social enterprises, produce a wide range of items, from road and rail signs, wooden products such as pallets and fruit bins, as well as printing and fulfilment services. 100% of the surplus generated by this commercial activity is re-invested to either provide further employment opportunities to veterans or support the wider charity’s aims of providing welfare, housing, and employment to the country’s most vulnerable veterans. For further information about RBLI, please visit: www.rbli.co.uk.
Amey is also a partner with Buildforce, who focus on reducing the skills gap in the construction industry by recruiting ex-military personnel. We have a network of mentors working across the UK organising site visits, work placements and providing guidance and support with CV writing and mock interviews.
Additionally, Amey works alongside the Forces Transition Group, Forces Families Jobs and the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) to provide employment opportunities to service leavers. This partnership helps us understand how skills learnt in the military can be transferred to the roles on offer at Amey. Click here to view Amey careers.
Our work to help military personnel transition to a civilian career demonstrates our promise under the Armed Forces Covenant, having received gold recognition for supporting our armed forces.
As Remembrance Day approaches, we shall remember all who have served for our country.