Focus7 Win Coveted ERS GOLD Award

At Focus7, our asset is the ability to find the heart of a business and make it beat faster through our branded strategic approach. We work closely with clients to help define their driving purpose, then igniting that brand difference and target business growth. We believe that looking after people within our community is what makes a successful business, and one of the ways we do that here is by loyally supporting the Armed Forces.

We’re immensely proud to announce that we’ve been awarded the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award for our boundless support of Defence People in the workplace. With a number of Defence People Employees in our team and myself an army veteran, the Armed Forces are very close to our hearts. I am hugely honoured and delighted that all of the hard work that the Focus7 team puts in to supporting the Armed Forces Community has been recognised with an Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award from the MoD.

An ERS Gold Award is the highest badge of honour for any business who supports Our Forces

And we want to encourage other businesses to go the extra mile with their support for our Veterans, Reservists, Military Spouses, Cadet Forces Adult Volunteers and Cadets who give up so much for our country and society. Being granted the Gold Award reflects the dedication the team have given to not only support our own ex-Forces employees, but also showing the rest of the Armed Forces community that we believe in them.

On top of this, we try to be a guiding light to other businesses, setting an example of how to nurture ex-Forces candidates and recognise their exceptional talents and capabilities within the civilian workplace. At Focus7, we know that the 14,000 service men and women that leave the Forces every year are staunchly professional, skilled and motivated. Our Guaranteed Interview policy gives candidates from the Armed Forces Community the leg up they deserve to begin a career in the creative industry. Meanwhile working with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) means we can connect with these phenomenally talented individuals. Having served 21 years in the Regular Army, eight years in the Army Reserve and the last two years in the Army Cadet Force, I know that a successful career in the Forces can be followed by an equally successful career elsewhere.

As a brand-led business growth agency in Hertfordshire, we’re experts in ‘spreading the word’ and I have made it my mission to get the message out there loud and clear that we should all be supporting our Forces. Through active engagement in PR, social media and events, we make sure that companies across the UK understand and appreciate how valuable the Armed Forces Community is to a business. During Armed Forces Week in 2018, we sponsored and organised a lunch event with Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce for 50 Members, where I spoke about the Armed Forces in business, inspiring attendees to apply for the ERS Bronze Award and sign the Armed Forces Covenant - paving the way for their industry peers. Along with sponsoring, organising and supporting Forces-friendly events, we’re also dedicated to getting the word out there using our inherent creativity and digital marketing expertise. We send out email marketing campaigns to our suppliers, customers and business contacts, positively encouraging them to support the Forces in the workplace; whether that’s raising awareness of the reserve service, advocating the work of invaluable service charities or demonstrating to other businesses how they can pledge their support for the Forces.

I am also proud to be an IoD Fellow and Ambassador for Diversity & Inclusion and the Armed Forces in the East of England and take every opportunity to talk about the benefits of employing service leavers, reservists, military spouses, cadet forces adult volunteers and cadets with other business leaders. We want to help the Armed Forces Community in any way we can, so when we work with businesses that are owned by Defence People, we provide partnership deals and defence discounts in order to support their business growth through their brand. At Focus7, we love having a reason to celebrate, but winning this award means much more than raising a glass or two. Receiving this commendation has been a true honour for us, as the team have relentlessly given their time, skills and expertise to support the Armed Forces Community.