Seras received the Gold award in the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme in 2022, which acknowledges exceptional support to the Armed Forces community. The company has pledged to provide opportunities and support to ex-services members through its recruitment policies and employment practices. This commitment is also reflected in Seras’ voluntary work and charitable partnerships.
We sat down with Seras’ Distribution Manager John Dickson and HSEQ Co-ordinator Will Hatchard who are driving forward the Armed Forces agenda with enthusiasm and passion.
Tell us about your services background and how you came to work at Seras?
John: I joined the Army in 1988 in the former Royal Core of Transport, which became the Royal Logistics Core. I served for 24 years, attaining the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2. After leaving the Army I took a role with a driving training company but I didn’t find this fulfilling. I took on the role of Operations Manager at the then Stobart Energy nine years ago and I haven’t looked back since.
Will: I joined the Army in May 1999 and I left in September 2023. During my time I served in the Duke of Lancaster regiment and we deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. After leaving the forces I had several jobs but didn’t really settle in any of them. In March 2024 I accepted the role of HSEQ Co-ordinator at Seras. I was attracted to the business taking such an active role in supporting ex-services personnel which is very important to me.
How did Seras’ relationship with the Armed Forces Covenant come about?
John: In 2019 the business had a shortage of drivers so I suggested to our Head of People, Sara Stephens, that we signed the Armed Forces Covenant. I wanted to give something back for what the Army gave me throughout my service. I was keen for the business to support those coming out into civilian life and helping them on that journey. Since then, the relationship has gone from strength to strength. We now have 39 ex-services people at Seras across the business, which is almost 14% of the workforce.
How do Seras support the transition from being in the Armed Forces to working for the business?
John: As part of Seras’ commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, we work with the Career Transition Partnership, the official resettlement service for the Armed Forces.
When you’re in the forces you are cocooned. Some people find transition to civilian life difficult so they might need support for their mental health or wellbeing. At Seras we have a number of Mental Health First Aiders across the business available to offer support and signposting to colleagues and we offer Employee Assistance Programme, providing confidential help and advice to our people. We have just launched a company funded Health Cash Plan that provides both financial support with everyday costs, such as dental and optical, plus access to a whole host of other benefits to support both physical and mental wellbeing.
Will: I got medically discharged from the Army with mental health issues. I have suffered with survivors’ guilt and panic attacks. There was a time you wouldn’t get anything out of me but I’m big when it comes to talking now. I still have counselling appointments and Seras have been very supportive towards me and my line manager has been fantastic. This has made me want to give more back to the business as they have taken the risk of bringing me on board. When I came into the office, I had to settle down quite a bit. The hardest part for me of becoming a civilian was adjusting to a 9-5 working environment.
What did Seras have to do to achieve the Gold status in the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme?
John: Organisations must meet several criteria including forces-friendly recruitment and selection processes, making employees aware of positive policies towards defence people issues, providing a positive environment for reservists and supporting the Cadet movement.
Your gold award employer status is reviewed every five years. At Seras we have an Armed Forces Covenant Committee which meets monthly to ensure we are not just meeting our commitments but aiming to go above and beyond them.
Will: I’m aware that we have supported a number of reservists by providing up to 10 days leave for ongoing reservist training, and this is company policy. We also have one reservist on a 12-month deployment at the moment, again showing our commitment to our reservist community.
How does Seras’ charitable and volunteering work tie in with supporting the Armed Forces?
John: Our People have carried out voluntary work to clean up some graves for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and we hope to do more of that in the future.
Blesma, the Limbless Veterans, is one of our charity partners, which supports ex- services people and their families. Over the past two Christmas’ we have taken part in Operation Christmas Cheer, with our people producing and delivering 55 Christmas hampers for lonely and isolated veterans and their families.
Will: Andy’s Man Club, a peer-to-peer support group for men, is another charity we support. A lot of ex-services people suffer with PTSD and mental health problems. One of the hardest things is the stigma which comes with mental health. This is something that I really struggled with and Andy’s Mans Club focuses brilliantly on this issue.
What is coming up over the coming year in support of the Armed Forces community?
John: There is a lot coming up. We are supporting the annual Blesma Golf Day in July. For VE day we’re organising an indoor street party at our Widnes support services. Seras’ branded poppy truck will be out again on Remembrance Sunday and at other events.
We are also planning a walking challenge in September for Andy’s Man Club. I’m organising a training programme so we can get as many people involved as possible.
Will: Bradley Goulding, one of the team at Seras, is running the London Marathon in aid of Blesma. Brad isn’t ex-services but support for the Armed Forces runs throughout the business. That includes our Board who will be packing the Christmas hampers for war veterans again this year.
