Huge thanks to Bridgend Audi who are our Main sponsors at this years Welsh Veterans Awards!

Bridgend Audi wanted to get more involved with the veterans within the local community, the Bridgend area is steeped in history and links to all the armed forces and this was an amazing opportunity to do so. Bridgend Audi has many loyal customers who have served in all of the armed forces and this is an opportunity to give a little back.

The Awards really drive a robust bridge between veterans leaving their duties and moving back into the commercial world. Not only does it recognise their efforts, it also offers them a vehicle to recognise the true value of the skills and characteristics they have gained during their service.

Bridgend Audi sells and services beautifully engineered cars in a welcoming dealership, that in a modern age still really drives the family values of the Sinclair Group.

We can’t wait to celebrate all our veterans success and be a part of the Awards evening.

For more info on Audi Bridgend – https://www.sinclairaudi.co.uk/locations/35135/bridgend-audi/

 

Extremely proud to Welcome Educ8 Training Group as a feature sponsor at this year’s Welsh Veterans Awards due to take place at the Village Hotel Cardiff on the 1st July 2020.

“Educ8 Group is proud to support the Welsh Veterans Awards. We are all about helping people from all walks of life succeed through the development of their skills. It is great to see so many veterans reskilling and finding innovative ways to be successful in civilian life and we are here to help them with every step of that journey.

We are also keen to offer our support to any veterans running businesses who wish to upskill their people through our Welsh Government funded work based learning qualifications”

https://www.educ8training.co.uk

 

Let’s give a Massive Veterans Awards welcome to Royal Educare who were sponsors at this year’s English Veterans Awards and have now commited to sponsoring the Welsh Veterans Awards 2020!

“As a family of military background, we are very passionate and appreciative of the incredibly brave and selfless Veterans who served for their country. These individuals did not only show true determination and integrity, but chose to put their lives on the line each and every day. For all of these reasons, it will be an honour to be a part of such a rewarding night at the Welsh Veterans Awards 2020.

Royal Educare has become a renowned Recruitment Agency in South Wales since it first opened back in 2017. Our expertise lay within the health & social care and education sectors. We pride ourselves on a great service that begins and ends with experienced and friendly professionals. Royal Educare provide competitive rates and incredible customer service to not only meet your needs, but also exceed your expectations of what a dependable Recruitment Agency can be. Part of our business model, is to ensure we put a percentage of our profits back into the community and help by fund raising for local charities. Whether this be an event held by Royal Educare or collaborating with a charitable organisation, we feel it’s in our duty to give back and help make a difference to the lives of others. Due to company reputation and rapid growth we have gone on to win ‘Best Start Up Business of The Year 2018 – South Wales’.”

For info on Royal Educare please check out https://www.royaleducare.co.uk

 

We are proud to introduce to you Pinnacle Complete Office Solutions who are sponsors at the Welsh Veterans Awards 2020!!

“Pinnacle Document Solutions Group are a local provider of Business Solutions based in St Mellons, Cardiff.

Since our establishment in 1989, we have grown into one of the leading print & document providers in the UK. From our head office, we can support clients large & small across the globe. As a Xerox Platinum & HP Silver Partner, we empower our customers to understand their print environment.

Supporting our Armed Forces is incredibly important to us both on a business & personal level.

Supporting the Armed Forces is something that we are very passionate about, throughout our business operations as well as through charity and fundraising events, which we actively take part in each year.

We strongly believe that the sacrifices military personnel make should be celebrated not only during service but in to retirement. Ex-military personnel are some of the most qualified & committed members of our community & after having risked their lives to protect others, they continue to go on to do their utmost to help & support their community, something that should be commended and awarded.

We are truly honoured to have the opportunity to support a fantastic & well worthy award ceremony & the Veteran community.”

Thank you very much Team Pinnacle!!

Pinnacle Complete Office Solutions

Massive thanks to Rebecca Porter MD and all the team at the amazing Porters Estate Agents They are a feature sponsor at the Welsh Veterans Awards 2020!

Porters are an independent, family run estate agent who have been helping people to sell, let, mortgage and maintain their homes for almost 23 years. With our in-depth market experience, we have learnt what it takes to meet and exceed client expectations and pride ourselves on being one of the most innovative and client-focused estate and letting agents in the South Wales area.

‘We are proud to be supporting the Welsh Veterans Awards as its part of our heritage and very important for future generations, let’s reward the success stories from our former serving military personnel’

For more info on Porters please check out – https://www.porters-uk.com/about-us

 

Thank you to Angela Windsor MD of Print Inc sponsor at this year’s Welsh Veterans Awards

Print Inc. specialises in bespoke business to business embroidery, print, and merchandise supplies. Make the switch to Print Inc for hassle free uniform and work wear for your company.

Print Inc have recently completed an order for the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards Boxing team polo’s, their Operation TORAL (Afghanistan) and Belize tour t shirts  and they also print the water bottles for the Battalion.

They started off undertaking work for the Welsh Guards Boxing Team and then after they saw the quality of the items they wanted to work with us on other projects.

“We pride ourselves on quality embroidery and delivering excellence with each order and cant wait to hear the positive stories from our Military Veteran Community at the upcoming Awards”

For more info on print Inc please check out –

Print Inc Embroidery & Print – https://printincclothing.co.uk/

 

We are pleased to announce that that AB Glass Ltd will be sponsors at this year’s Welsh Veterans Awards!

Alan Brayley served in the Royal Regiment of Wales and Royal Welsh for 20 years, finishing his military career as a Sergeant Major. Since leaving the Armed Forces, he has run a highly successful aluminium manufacturing and installation company in Swansea AB Glass, building it from scratch to now having a turnover of an amazing 7 million pounds. The company has employed many ex-service personnel since its conception. AB Glass provides bespoke aluminium windows, doors, curtain walling, facades and related products and services to the commercial and domestic markets. The multi award winning company employs 60 members of staff and has been in business for nearly 30 years.

” I truly believe that my time in the Army and the skills and experience that I developed in the Forces has made a significant contribution to my success in business. I’m incredibly proud of AB Glass and the hard work that myself and everyone who works with us puts into the business. The support this community has provided to veterans in Wales and ABF The Soldiers’ Charity is really inspiring and deserves to receive such esteemed recognition and I am proud to have AB Glass support the awards!”

AB Glass Ltd

 

We are so pleased to have the fantastic team at Hugh James as sponsors at this years Scottish, English and Welsh Awards!

Here’s a little info on Hugh James –

We are a full service, top 100 UK law firm offering specialist legal and financial advice. With over 50 years’ experience, and 700 staff members, we have the expertise to deliver a service you can trust.

Although our workforce has grown to more than 700, we have retained and nurtured a unique culture which is based on hard work, exceptional talent, ambition, empathy, innovation and good humour. It is those qualities that have helped us grow the business to where we stand today. We have ambitious plans to become a top 50 UK firm by 2021 and our culture will be key to this.

Simon Ellis – ” We are really pleased to be involved with such an inspiring night and we are so glad to support our Military Veterans on National level”

https://www.hughjames.com.

We are so pleased to welcome Pathfinder International Magazine as our Official media Partner for the 2020 Veterans Awards.

We are really looking forward to working with Malcolm Robinson and his team to promote the Positives that are coming from within our Veteran Community and those companies that go above and beyond to support and recruit from us!

Please read the blog here for more information- http://pathfinderinternational.co.uk/pathfinder-magazine-b…/

Pathfinder International Magazine

Welcome to our  Leavers to Leaders Award – Sponsored by Leavers to Leaders!

This award is for service Leavers who have successfully transitioned from the military to become leaders in any civilian role across governments, business and the 3rd sector. Selected winners will also be invited to represent their organisations at the Leavers To Leaders global conference to inspire others. Have you become a leader in your chosen field? Do you positively impact your civilian peers? How do you stand out in your organisations? Have you got any testimonials?

As the winner of the English veteran role model of the year and runner up of business leader of the year, Samuel T. Reddy aim is to empower other service Leavers to become leaders in their chosen field. In a digital world driven by Ai & technology leaders have to constantly reinvent themselves to stay relevant and this is where service Leavers can excel by applying themselves and also make meaning impact to organisations. Samuel is the founder of TriExForces, a selected team of ex military personnel who are deployed globally to empower teams and impact organisations. He is also the author of the bestselling book Leavers to Leaders, for anyone who is ready to become a leader in their field. He believes environment dictates performance, and you gain more experience by exposing yourself to new environments.

Leavers To Leaders – TriExForces – Veteran Owned UK

 

We are extremely proud to announce that The Social Butterfly Marketing LTD will be looking after all our social media marketing on twitter during our Welsh Veterans Awards and English Veterans Awards during 2020!

The Social butterfly is an ecosystem of Marketing and Design experts who work with private and public sectors. We motivate local businesses to refocus their attention back on marketing by providing unbiased effective consultancy and management in Wales.

Amy Price (Director) Said:

“We are very excited and proud to be involved with The Welsh Veterans awards and have strong personal links to those who have served in the military. Celebrating successes of our former military personnel who give so much to our country is something we feel very passionate about. Here’s to some great evenings.”

We are extremely happy to have Amy and her team cover our fantastic awards evening on twitter and if your attending and want a shout out please look out for them, they are amazing at what they do!

The Social Butterfly Marketing LTD

 

Emma Davies,  Director of Joint Force Alba

Emma is the director for Joint Force Alba, the only Scottish ex-military recruitment consultancy. She is a Veteran herself, having served for 13 years in the British Army, working in tri-service and multi-national environments in Germany, Iraq, Afghanistan and the USA. Alongside that, she developed a career in HR and recruitment in Scottish businesses, focusing on SMEs. She gained her Chartered membership of the CIPD in 2013 having had to pause her studies whilst serving in Afghanistan. She’s an ambassador for X-Forces Enterprise and a board member for military charity Lothian’s Veterans centre as well as being a wife to a fellow Army Veteran and mum to 2 young boys.

Roy McLellan, Employer Engagement Director – Highland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association

My primary role within the business is meeting with employers to explain the benefits of employing Military Veterans / Reservists and the skills that they can bring to the workplace, promoting signing the Armed Forces Covenant and taking part in Defence Employer Recognition Scheme encouraging them to show publicly their commitment as an employer.

I have seen countless times the benefits that these people can bring to the workplace with their military skills easily transferring to civilian life, I was very keen to join the judging panel to see the fantastic showcase of achievements that former military staff have undertaken since leaving the armed forces.

Nia-Wyn Evans  – Solicitor

I am a solicitor at Hugh James, now based at our London office. I work within the military team representing military and ex-military servicemen and women.

Whilst speaking with military and ex-military personnel on a daily basis I am all too familiar with the difficulties veterans can face when leaving service.  I wanted to join the judging panel for the Veteran Awards to celebrate those who have made a successful transition from military to civilian life, whilst also assisting veterans who have faced difficulties when returning to civilian life as part of my role as a solicitor.

I have been fortunate to sit on the judging panel for the Welsh and English Veteran Awards 2019, I am looking forward to join the judging panel for the Scottish Veteran Awards this year and to hear all about the shortlisted finalists.

 John Gillie – Briefer/Liason Officer ABF The Soldiers’ Charity

The role encompasses briefing a wide range of audiences both military and civilian on the work of the Charity to encourage support to regional fundraising, provision of fundraising support to the Regional Office and Events, including organising events, establishing and maintaining key relationships with Army units both Regular and Reserve and continual development of our volunteer fundraising.

John has recently completed a 39 year exemplary career in the Army. He feels so privileged and honoured having accepted the role as LO(Sc) only 4 weeks ago. He is looking forward to the many challenges the role will bring where he hopes he can “give a little back” to a service which has provided him with so much. 

He is married to his wife of 32 years Sherrilyn with 3 sons, Liam (29), Danny (27) &  Ewen (22) all currently building their own careers. As a close family who enjoy socialising together & passionate about living life to the full.

“I was very pleased to be asked to be panel member especially as a Military Veteran Myself, I’m looking forward to celebrating the success of our Military Veteran Community in Scotland on the night itself along with those companies that support us”

The Veterans Awards are proud to announce our shortlisted Finalists for this years Scottish Veterans Awards, due to be held at the Village Hotel Edinburgh on the 1st April 2020. Sponsored by  TMT Construction and Veterans Employment & Training Solutions (V.E.T.S) and in Support of The ABF The Soldiers’ Charity Scotland!

Well done to everyone who has been shortlisted as finalists. We had 100’s of applications and the shortlisting process was extremely difficult. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who put forward nominations.

We want to Inspire our future service leavers that great things can happen. Its you who will act as role models and in some cases mentors, remember Positivity breeds Positivity.

Our Finalists are :

 

Role Model of the Year- Sponsored by Print Inc Embroidery and Print 

Suzanne Fernando MBE BCAh
Brett Townsley BCA	Omniscient Safety Innovations
Garry Cowan	Scottish War Blinded
Ross Crockart	Skyrora
Les Mason
James Renwick

Inspiration of the Year Award – Sponsored by Ridge Steel

Jeff Willaims	Veterans United Against Suicide
Jason Hare	Horesback UK
Peter Stewart	Aberkil
Dean Stott
Chris Gillan	Heroes Drinks

 

The Community Awards – Sponsored by Joint Force Alba

Marc Hutton	Edinburgh Walking Group
Colin Butcher
Alan Deans
John Bradley
Jim Strachan	Poppy Scotland
Graham Brash	Edinburgh Airport

Fiona Laing

Contribution to the Scottish Fitness Industry and Society – Sponsored by (V.E.T.S) Veterans Employment & Training Solutions

John Owens	MOD
Peter Stewart	CTC Grampian
Charlie Brister	Be Military Fit

Contribution to the Scottish Sport – Sponsored by TMT Construction

Bill Little	Scotfilms
Gary Holt	Livingston FC
Chris Paterson

 

Entrepreneur of the Year- Sponsored by Hugh James Solicitors

Gavin Neate	Neatebox
Darren Philpson	Four one Safety Solutions
Mark Laird	Lairds of Troon

 

Employer of the Year- Sponsored by Hugh James Solicitors

Royal Bank of Scotland

RB safety Consultants Ltd

Lothian Buses

 

Veteran Owned Business  of the Year- Sponsored by Pathfinder Magazine

LCS Embroidery Ltd

Lairds of Troon

Omniscient Safety Innovations

Military Fitness Training

 

Volunteer of the Year –  Terrestres Servo Coronas

Jeff Williams	Veterans United Against Suicide
Mark Harper	The Veterans Garden
Colin Butcher
David Curruthers	Scottish War Blinded
Paul Coffey

Lifetime Achievement – Sponsored by TMT Construction

John Owens	MOD
Suzanne Fernando MBE BCAh
William Howieson	Edinburgh Napier University

 

The Winners will be chosen by our independent Judging Panel, The Judging panels names and profiles will be released over the coming weeks.

Our Shortlisted  finalists will be filmed in the fantastic Location of Edinburgh Castle on Wednesday 26th February, these  Videos will then be used on our extensive media campaign and will also be played on the evening itself, you will also receive your finalist certificate on this fantastic morning.

All our Shortlisted Finalists will have the opportunity to purchase tickets between 3rd February – 14th February. If we have any remaining tickets left they will then go on sale to our supporters and the General public.

For more details please get in touch.

 

Sean Molino BCA

Sean spent 6 years with 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, serving as a PTI and one year with the reserves.

Our vision has always been to turn the Veterans Awards into a Not for Profit CIC so that money generated can be re- invested back Into our Veteran Community & I’m pleased to say from April 2020 we have a Voluntary Board of Directors to decide how the money will be allocated and to make those all important decisions regarding the Veterans Awards.

Bev Garside

“I have supported the charity sector through my business since 2001 & have held unpaid governances role on a variety of charities over the years.

What an amazing 2019 We’ve had celebrating the success of our Military Veteran community in England and Wales, so many inspiring stories , people and amazing businesses that have supported us!

Thank you to everyone who has supported our Awards and of course all those who were nominated and attended our Award Ceremonies!

Remember the Veterans Awards are here to spread the positive messages from our Veteran community and if you need something circulated that will benefit us please do send it in to our team!

Here’s an Introduction to our Two Amazing Veterans Awards Champions –

 

Well done to Barry John MBE from The VC Gallery who has become out first Welsh Veterans Awards Champion sponsored by TASC Holdings Ltd!

“Just being at the very first Welsh Veterans awards was very special, to be nominated by my peers and the public in two categories even more special but then to win both and also become the Welsh Veterans champion on the evening was such an honour.

All nominees have done so much in their respective areas of Wales for the community and especially Veterans and it was because of this recognition the awards are unique.

I would like to thank everyone who is making a difference in Wales, the staff at the VC Gallery and everyone that believed in my vision, to Sean and his team for showing veterans in a positive light and to everyone who was nominated in all the categories in what was the first ever Welsh Veterans Awards and I know it will become a big event in the calendar for many years to come.

Thank you”

Barry John MBE
The VC Gallery

We caught up with the amazing Ken Hames MBE, former SAS Officer who became our English Veterans Awards Inspiration of the year (Sponsored by Ridge steel) and overall English Veterans Awards Champion (Sponsored by Barratt Homes) here’s what he had to say-

I would like to say what an honour it is to receive the award of Veteran’s Award Champion. It came as an unexpected surprise to be nominated and an even greater one to win my category and the overall award. I apologise for my absence which was unavoidable but hope that everybody enjoyed the spectacle.