The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has pledged its support to military personnel, veterans and their families by signing the Armed Forces Covenant during a ceremony at Horse Guards Parade.
The Armed Forces Covenant is a formal commitment to those who serve and have served that they will be treated with fairness and respect, and a recognition of the valuable attributes they bring to the workplace.
The agreement was co-signed by Catherine Beloff, BHA Director of Legal, Governance and Business partners, and Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Armitage, Commanding Officer of Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR).
As a ‘forces-friendly’ employer, the BHA will seek to uphold the principles of the covenant by:
- Supporting existing employees who choose to be members of the Reserve forces – accommodating their training and development wherever possible
- Continuing to recruit from the community of veteran service personnel, both directly and through the Career Transition Partnership
- Providing support for the spouses and partners of Service personnel, with employment opportunities and additional flexibility around leave for duty – before, during and after deployment.
Catherine Beloff, BHA Director of Legal, Governance and Business partners, said:
“British horseracing has a strong and longstanding connection with the Armed Forces, and the BHA is proud to reinforce these close ties by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.
“We are very fortunate to count serving personnel, veterans and family members amongst our existing colleagues, and value the qualities and transferable skills they bring to the workplace.
“Through this pledge, we will continue to ensure that all current and future colleagues from the Forces community are not only treated with fairness and respect, but always have the opportunity to flourish in their role.”
BHA Handicapper and Reservist, Lance Corporal Rachel Brierley-Ambrose, said:
“I am delighted that the BHA has signed the Armed Forces Covenant and would like to thank everyone who has helped make this possible.
“A public pledge like this shows that Armed Forces personnel are valued by the organisation and can always expect equitable treatment – something that’s incredibly important for anyone serving or who has served.
“I hope that through this action we can help raise awareness about the benefits of employing service personnel and military families and demonstrate the broad range of skills and behaviours they can bring to a civilian working environment.”
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Armitage, Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR), said:
“Signing the covenant means that the BHA is supporting its employees as reservists and veterans. As a forces friendly employer, the BHA will benefit from the wide range of unique skills and experiences that reservists and veterans bring to any organisation. Thank you for signing the covenant – it means a lot to the entire armed forces family.”
The Armed Forces Covenant covers all serving personnel and veterans, both regular and reservist, their families and the bereaved.
More information about the covenant, including how organisations can help support the forces community, is available on the Armed Forces Covenant website.
