By SI Kim Gilbert, No 1 (Minden) Company
I, SI Kim Gilbert, recently joined the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester who attended the Reaffirmation Signing Ceremony of the Military Covenant at the Northern Care Alliance (NCA) NHS Foundation Trust. The covenant was first signed by the NCA in 2018. The event was also attended by veterans, reservists, and senior management of the Trust.
On a separate day each of the four sites within the Hospital Trust held a flag raising ceremony to mark the start of Armed Forces week, where we as a nation demonstrate our support for those in the military.
The Trust is proud to have been awarded both a Veterans Aware Accreditation and a Silver Employers Recognition Service award.
You may wonder what has this to do with Greater Manchester Army Cadet Force?
Often these days, we hear about inclusion and equality, and it can seem overused. However, for my part in my role as a full-time staff member in the NHS and as a Cadet Force Adult Volunteer in Greater Manchester ACF I have been actively encouraged to ‘sit at the table’ in an advisory role.
I have been invited to be on the steering group for the veterans and armed force personnel. This has enabled me to make suggestions to policies and add an additional perspective when decisions are being made.
I am proud that I have been able to get involved and I know that while it may only be a small thing that these little differences will be of benefit to members of the ACF who work within the Trust now and in the future.
#GmanACFforceforgood #goingfurther #inspiretoachieve #ArmedForcesDay
