Rochdale Borough Council Receives Gold Award for Support to Armed Forces Community

Strategic Insights -

Rochdale Borough Council has been commended for its outstanding work to support the armed forces community, receiving a gold award from the Heywood-based veterans' charity, Veterans into Logistics. The charity, founded in 2020, provides training and mentoring for ex-forces personnel to gain heavy good vehicles (HGV) licenses and support them in gaining paid employment. The council's backing for the charity was solidified in 2022 when it provided land for a Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency approved reversing site at Bowlee in Middleton, enabling over 300 veterans to qualify as drivers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Rochdale Borough Council has received a gold award from Veterans into Logistics for its outstanding work to support the armed forces community.
  • The charity, founded in 2020, has supported over 900 veterans in gaining paid employment, including around 100 from the borough of Rochdale, in the last 5 years.
  • The council provided land for a Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency approved reversing site at Bowlee in Middleton, enabling over 300 veterans to qualify as drivers.
  • The facility has helped speed up the process of veterans obtaining their HGV license, to gain employment in logistics.
  • Former Rochdale Borough Council leader Neil Emmott stated that the council's support for the charity is "unwavering" and that the award "underlines our commitment to members of the armed forces past and present".
  • Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Janet Emsley, praised the charity for providing a "pioneering" service that has transformed the lives of veterans and provided them with a purpose and a pathway into new careers.
  • Founder of Veterans into Logistics, Darren Wright, thanked the council for its support and praised the "rock solid working relationship" between the charity and the council.

Statistics:

  • 900 veterans have gained paid employment through the charity's efforts in the last 5 years.
  • Approximately 100 veterans from the borough of Rochdale have gained employment through the charity.
  • Over 300 veterans have qualified as drivers through the council-provided facility at Bowlee in Middleton.
  • 2020: Year the charity was founded.
  • 2022: Year the council provided land for the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency approved reversing site at Bowlee in Middleton.

Sources:

  • "Rochdale Borough Council Receives Gold Award for Support to Armed Forces Community" news release, Rochdale Borough Council.
  • No further sources were mentioned in the provided text.