FEBRUARY 2017 • ISSUE 15 High-LightTHE TRI-SERVICE MAGAZINE OF HIGHLAND RESERVE FORCES’ AND CADETS’ ASSOCIATION Employers strike gold and silver Web: HRFCA.CO.UK Facebook: FACEBOOK.COM/HRFCA Pages 4&5 Twitter: @HRFCA 2 | Editorial High-Light • Issue 15 New Year with new challenges ahead hat better way to begin the New Year than with the knowledge of the reserves and of W latest edition of High-Light? our region that will be very useful Once again the magazine is full of items that we hope to us. will be of interest from what has been an eventful few Looking to the year that lies months, rounding off an extremely busy and challenging year. before us, it will certainly present Among these, the official opening of the new Highlander more than its fair share of Accommodation Block, covered on pages 14 and 15, marked a challenges as well, no doubt, as significant uplift in the facilities available for cadets of 1 HLDRS plenty of opportunities. Challenges Bn ACF and a milestone for HRFCA, being the biggest capital will continue to include the very works project using Regionally Generated Income undertaken testing financial climate, not least by our Estates team in many years, and led by Randall Christie. in managing the Volunteer Estate with extremely limited funds, our On the engagement front, in this issue you will find a restructuring, as well as the setting report on the 2016 Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) silver by CRFCA and DRM of ever-more awards dinner which took place in the Great Hall of Edinburgh New DCE Andrew demanding targets against which Macnaughton. Castle in November. Overall a highly successful event which our performance will be assessed. continues to set the standard for these awards, with special thanks due to our Lowland colleagues who did most of the Of the many opportunities likely heavy lifting. to come our way, we look forward to both the planned engagement with MSPs at Holyrood and the consolidation One other significant event in the life of the Association of relationships made over the last couple of years with the since our last High-Light has been the departure of our education and youth areas to highlight the value of the cadet Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Rawlings, now established in her organisations in Scotland. This second point is the legacy of new ACF role down in Wiltshire. Sarah has been a great asset the Cadet Presentation Team. to HRFCA throughout her four years with us, and our loss is For now though I would like to take this opportunity of very much Wessex RFCA’s gain; read more on Sarah’s farewell wishing our readers a happy, prosperous and peaceful New on page 13. Year, and I look forward to seeing as many of our members Nothing stands still for long around here, and our new DCE, as possible at the Annual Association Meeting in Perth on Andrew Macnaughton, is now firmly established and has Saturday 25 March; details, as they say, to follow. already covered over 700 miles as he gets his head around a demanding and multifaceted post. A regular Argyll who commanded 51 Highland Volunteers, Andrew has a depth of Mark Dodson Introducing the winners at the ERS Silver Awards in Edinburgh. Highland and Lowland Chief Execs visited HMS Queen Elizabeth. High-Light • Issue 15 | 3 Contents 4, 5 Gold & Silver ERS Awards 6, 7 Armed Forces Covenant signings 8 Ex Team Spirit 9 Cadets meet politician 5 10, 11 Area meetings round-up 12 Visit to new RN carriers 13 Farewell to Sarah Rawlings 6 8 14, 15 £1.3m block opens at Dingwall Cadet Centre 16 Success at the double, plus forthcoming events 10, 11 12 14, 15 High-Light is designed and produced for [email protected] you by Highland RFCA, Seathwood, tel: 01382 631027 twitter: @hrfca, 365 Perth Road, Dundee, DD2 1LX facebook: facebook.com/HRFCA 4 | ERS Gold Awards High-Light • Issue 15 Scottish council among gold winners rince William, The PDuke of Cambridge, presented twenty-two companies with the Ministry of Defence’s highest recognition for employer support to the Armed Forces. The Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) awards ceremony on 12 October was hosted by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon at the Royal Hospital Chelsea – a retirement home for hundreds of army veterans. The Duke of Cambridge thanked all of the twenty-two companies for their work in the area by handing them a Gold award. Among the Dundee City Council’s Janet Robertson collected the Gold Award from The Duke of Cambridge. winners were three Scottish organisations: Dundee City Fallon said: “Employers The full list of employers Nationwide Building Society, Council; Royal Bank of across the country are recognised for their Nottinghamshire Healthcare Scotland; and the Scottish ensuring our military get a outstanding support for NHS Foundation Trust, Ambulance Service. fair deal including by helping Defence personnel includes: Pertemps, QinetiQ, Holt’s veterans to have successful AECOM, Atos UK Ltd, Bank Military Bank/NatWest/Royal The scheme is designed to careers after leaving service. of America Merrill Lynch, Bank of Scotland, Scottish recognise and thank employers These companies are rightly Boeing Defence UK Ltd, Bureau who support the Armed Forces being recognised for the Veritas, DJ Rees Decorating Ambulance Service, Surrey community and their families, support they offer under the Services Limited, Doncaster County Council, TA Plastic and to inspire others to do the Armed Forces Covenant and Council, Dundee City Council, Supplies Ltd, United Utilities same. encouraging other firms to go Hampshire County Council, and Waves Training Solutions Defence Secretary Michael the extra mile”. HSBC, Kier Group, KPMG, Ltd. The Band of the Irish Guards performed at the event. Defence Secretary Michael Fallon. The Duke meets Chelsea Pensioners and members of the Band of the Irish Guards. High-Light • Issue 15 ERS Silver Awards| 5 The award winners. Great night to remember for employers ighland and Lowland Reserve As part of the evening the audience also Forces’ and Cadets’ heard from Corporal Catherine Pounder, H a Reservist from 205 Field Hospital, Associations were at Edinburgh who explained how she has benefited Castle’s Great Hall for the ERS Silver from Reserve service. Lt Col Andrew Awards dinner. Muddiman, the commanding officer of The 10 November event recognised the Royal Marine Reserve in Scotland, the commitment of employers who also spoke giving his perspective on the demonstrate or advocate support value that Reservists bring to his unit. to defence and the Armed Forces Lastly, Jill Young, Chief Executive of The community. Golden Jubilee Foundation, highlighted The awards were announced by the the employer perspective. Chief Executive of Highland RFCA, Thanks from both Highland and Lowland Brigadier Mark Dodson, and presented by RFCAs go to Maj Gen Mike Riddle- General Sir Gordon Messenger, Vice Chief Webster, the Governor of Edinburgh of the Defence Staff. Castle, for allowing the awards to be held Brigadier Dodson said: “The success of in the impressive surroundings of the General Sir Gordon Messenger, Vice Chief our armed forces in delivering defence Great Hall. of the Defence Staff. capability is entirely reliant on their Thanks also to The Band of The Royal relationship with the society from which Marines, Willie McIntyre from George they are drawn. Key to this relationship Heriots School and Lothian & Borders ACF is the role played by employers, who not Battalion for providing the cadet pipers only support members of the volunteer Paul Christie and Bruce Gardner. Also to reserve forces but the whole armed 154 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, and forces family, whether veterans, spouses 603 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, and partners, or the adult volunteers so for helping with logistics. crucial to the viability and vitality of our Recipients of the award in the Highland service cadet organisations. All of the RFCA-area were: Abertay University, 25 recipient companies or organisations East Dunbartonshire Council, Goucher recognised tonight have demonstrated Consulting Ltd, Highland Spring Ltd, that they are actively supporting the wide Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd, spectrum of the armed forces community Kingspark School, Moray Chamber of in many ways.” Commerce, Moray Council, Orkney Following the awards, the Vice Chief of Islands Council, SCORE Group plc, Robert the Defence Staff addressed the audience Gordon’s College, Shetland Islands on behalf of The Secretary of State for Council, University of Aberdeen, Western Defence. Isles Council, and Woodmill High School. Pipers Paul Christie and Bruce Gardner; HRFCA CE Mark Dodson with Mark Stuart of HIAL; and AOS AVM Ross Paterson with 51 Bde Comd Gary Deakin. 6 | Armed Forces Covenant High-Light • Issue 15 Knockhill on track for Covenant success nockhill Racing Circuit has Stuart Gray and K Commander pledged its support Felicity Campbell for the Armed Forces sign the Armed Community by signing Forces Covenant. the Armed Forces Covenant. In doing so Scotland’s National Motorsport Centre has made a commitment to support the country’s servicemen and women wherever and however it can and to ensure no member of the Armed Forces should suffer any disadvantage as a result of their service. The signing on 8 November – by Knockhill Events Director Stuart Gray – took place at the racing circuit, which is situated around seven miles north of Dunfermline in Fife. Rosyth-based Commander Felicity Campbell of the Royal Navy co-signed the Covenant on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. The event was organised by Highland RFCA and attended by the organisation’s Regional Employer Engagement Director Ron Macgregor. Also in attendance were HRFCA’s Lornette Parker and Knockhill Sales Manager Laura Graham. For more information on the Armed Forces Covenant From left: Ron Macgregor, Commander contact Ron Macgregor on Felicity Campbell, Stuart 01382 631026 or email Gray and Laura Graham.