The Ministry of Defence have awarded ASPH with Gold Employer status under the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) in recognition of the value they place on supporting the Armed Forces in the workplace.
ASPH join 24 Trusts to receive the highest recognition for their commitment to the Armed Forces community, achieving the Gold ERS award. The ERS scheme was launched in 2014 by David Cameron to recognise employers who support and align their values with the wider principles of the Armed Forces Covenant. The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
As a veteran aware trust, ASPH champion recruitment, healthcare, and local support networks for the Armed Forces community and there is a staff training programme to help raise awareness of the services offered to those who have served our country. ASPH are the first Trust to launch an Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club, where local veterans meet for breakfast at St Peter’s on the last Friday of every month.
To recognise the valuable contribution of reservists, the Trust introduced a policy to release employees mobilised for Reservist and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAV) duties and training events.
On Thursday 6th October, representatives from the Trust will be attending the first ever Reserved Forces and Cadet’s Association (SERFCA) prestigious Gold Award ceremony onboard the HMS Warrior, Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth to celebrate this momentous achievement.
If you are interested in joining the Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club, please email
To find out more about a career with ASPH, veterans should contact us on
Chairman Andy Field said,” Winning this award is a huge achievement and I would like to thank Andrea and the team for championing ‘veteran awareness’ at the Trust. It is an absolute honour to be recognised formally with the highest award for our commitment to the Armed Forces community.”
Executive lead for the Veterans Aware Programme, Andrea Lewis, said, “We are so proud to receive the Gold ERS award in recognition of our pledge to uphold the Armed Forces Covenant, which aligns with our own values and objectives, to support those serving personnel and veterans who have served our country.”
“The Trust is committed to granting additional paid leave to reservists and CFAV’s specifically to enable them to attend annual training and offer employment opportunities to veterans.”
“We remain committed to providing the Armed Forces and their families with the same high quality healthcare service and patient experience as the rest of the community, with special consideration given to those that are injured and bereaved.”
