News
Gold award for our Armed Forces Covenant support
Thakeham, a leading South of England housebuilder and community creator, has been awarded the highest level of recognition for its support of the armed forces community.
Under the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS), Gold is the highest award for those organisations who pledge, demonstrate and advocate support for, and align their values with, the Armed Forces Covenant. With only 193 recipients of this accolade nationally, Thakeham is the only housebuilder in the South East to achieve this status.
The selection board for the award require organisations to be an exemplar within their market sector, and Thakeham is proud to be recognised as such.
Having signed up to the Covenant in 2019, Thakeham became the first housebuilder in the South East to be awarded the Bronze award in 2020 before further achieving Silver status the following year.
Thakeham has demonstrated its dedication to supporting Armed Forces leavers of all ages to integrate back into a fulfilling civilian life. This has included raising money for relevant charities, facilitating Civilian Attachment Placements for service personnel, advocating for armed forces support within our supply chain, and offering considerable flexibility to staff in a Reservist role and in case of a partner’s deployment.
Thakeham also joins forces with relevant charities to make a lasting impact and empower the military community to thrive in civilian life. It is therefore pleased to announce Building Heroes as its new charity partner.
Established in 2014, Building Heroes is dedicated to supporting Armed Forces members during their transition to civilian life by offering training, employment support and creating pathways into successful construction careers.
Liane Richardson, HR Director at Thakeham, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to say with great pride that Thakeham is now an Armed Forces Covenant Gold signatory. We have long recognised the huge value and vast range of skills that veterans contribute to all aspects of the company, to our suppliers and industry peers, and this only strengthens our commitment to past and present military personnel.
Just as we’re proud of this Gold award, we’re equally excited to embark on a journey with Building Heroes, to help them in their mission to transform the lives of veterans”.
Building Heroes Chief Executive, Karen Jefford, said, “We’re delighted to welcome Thakeham as an Official Partner of Building Heroes. Its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant and dedication to creating sustainable, strong communities aligns perfectly with our mission of supporting Armed Forces personnel in finding purposeful careers in construction.”
Together, Thakeham and Building Heroes will build strong communities, reduce skills gaps, and provide vital support to those who have served.
