heliguy™ Receives Armed Forces Employer Award

• heliguy™ receives Bronze Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme and pledges support to the Armed Forces Covenant;

• Bronze Award recognises heliguy™ as a Forces-friendly employer and honours the company's support of the Armed Forces family;

• heliguy™ is an employer of ex-military personnel, including warehouse/logistics manager, Faye Ashton, and members of the in-house training team;

• Training instructors utilise their military pedigree to enrich candidates' learning, transferring skills such as British Army fixed-wing experience and Royal Navy helicopter airmanship to benefit drone operations.  

heliguy™ is delighted to receive the Bronze Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, honouring our commitment to the Armed Forces community.

As an employer of ex-military personnel, we are also proud to pledge our support to the Armed Forces Covenant.

The Bronze Award is given to businesses who are Forces-friendly employers, take a positive stance towards Reservists, and support the families of serving members of the military.

View the heliguy™ Bronze Award certificate here. 

As part of its work with the Armed Forces, heliguy™ has supplied drones to the Ministry of Defence.

heliguy™: A Forces-Friendly Employer

The award recognises heliguy™ as an Armed Forces-inclusive employer.

Currently, heliguy™ has three veterans in the in-house drone training team. Their military skills have transferred well to the drone training provision, benefiting candidates in the process.

For instance, Head of Training, Ben Shirley, spent more than 13 years in the British Army, and, as a former member of the Royal Military Police, he has brought his knowledge of policing to the emergency service application of UAS.

Likewise, instructor Mark Blaney deployed the H450 in Afghanistan for the British Army, making him perfectly suited to deliver the heliguy™ fixed-wing drone training course. Read the full interview with Mark.

Meanwhile, Martin Young spent a decade in the Royal Navy flying planes and helicopters, including the Merlin Mk3. His core airmanship skills translate to unmanned aviation, and he has been able to pass on his experience of mission-focused flying to commercial drone operators. Read the full interview with Martin.

Aside from the training team, heliguy™'s warehouse/logistics manager, Faye Ashton, served in the Royal Navy for seven-and-a-half years. Holding the rank of Leading Hand, and operating in Communications, she deployed around the world, including in the Gulf States and the Mediterranean. 

She said: "I think it is a really positive thing that heliguy™ has received the Bronze Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme and is honouring the Armed Forces Covenant.

"Ex-service personnel can bring many transferable skills to a workplace; something which has been proved at heliguy™. Certainly the veterans in our training team have been able to use their Forces experiences to benefit our training candidates.

"It is not always easy for veterans to adapt to the workplace on Civvy Street, but heliguy™ has always been extremely supportive, and the Bronze Award is testament to that."  

A major part of the Bronze Award is a commitment to support spouses and partners of serving personnel, including partnering with the Forces Families Jobs Forum and providing flexibility in granting leave for Service spouses and partners before, during and after a partner’s deployment.

"This is so important," said Faye. "It can be a tough time for families, especially those with young children, so having that support network in place is a major help."

David Eccles, North-East Assistant Regional Employer Engagement Director for The North of England Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (RFCA), visited heliguy™ to present the Bronze Award.

He welcomed heliguy™'s commitment to the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme and Armed Forces Covenant. He was astonished by the level of innovation at heliguy™ and was impressed by the company's global reputation and position at the forefront of the drone industry. 

As part of heliguy™'s commitment to the Armed Forces, we are offering discounts to the Armed Forces family. Contact us for more information.