Aldershot Town Football Club are proud and privileged to have been awarded Gold Status by the Armed Forces Covenant’s Employer Recognition Scheme.
The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) encourages employers to support defence and inspire others to do the same. The scheme encompasses Bronze, Silver and Gold awards for employer organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to defence and the armed forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.
Aldershot Town Football Club are immensely proud of its links to the Armed Forces through the town of Aldershot’s proud history as the home of the British Army and are delighted to have become the first professional football club to receive the highest recognition by the ERS.
Our Remembrance Day game and service of Remembrance is a hugely important date in our calendar and the Club has played host to several Inter-Services games in recent years, as well as offering Military Personnel a concessionary discount to attend Aldershot Town games at the EBB Stadium.
The Shots Foundation are a big part of our connection with the armed forces, and it’s through their charitable events and initiatives that we can reach and work with so many members of the armed forces community. Together with the Shots Foundation, we provide a monthly Veterans Hub to bring together local veterans and their families for complimentary hot drinks and food, support military events and schools, and work with the Royal British Legion.
We are proud to have been one of the first football clubs to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant – and leading all 68 National League clubs, and our Club sponsors and partners, to also sign it – and are now very proud to have become the first football club to be awarded Gold Status by the ERS.
Club Chairman, Shahid Azeem, said: “It’s a real honour and privilege to become the first professional football club in the country to receive the highest recognition for our work with the Armed Forces. Aldershot is the home of the British Army and as the town’s football club, it’s our honour and duty to support the Armed Forces and all those who have sacrificed and risk their lives for ours.”
Al Carns MP, Minister for Veterans & People, said: “Aldershot Town Football Club are the first professional football club to be awarded Gold Status by the Armed Forces Covenant’s Employer Recognition Scheme demonstrating exactly what can be done when organisations understand the benefit of working closely with veterans and families to design mutually beneficial opportunities. I am delighted Aldershot Town FC have been recognised for their exceptional efforts and congratulate them on their trail blazing work.”
Alex Baker MP, Minister of Parliament for Aldershot, said “This Gold Status award is a testament to the great work that Aldershot Town FC has led, as the beating heart of our community, to embed the Armed Forces Covenant into the club’s DNA. We should all be proud of how The Shots are leading the way in showcasing how football can build bridges, bring communities together and support those who have served our country. I hope this will inspire other clubs to follow in their footsteps.”
Graham Brookland, CEO of the Army Football Association whose headquarters are based in the town added, “This is a superb testament to the commitment Aldershot Town Football Club and Shots Foundation provides within the military community. The progression made season by season is so evident. We value our partnership with the club greatly and have seen firsthand the role that it plays being at the forefront of some magnificent achievements in recent times all relevant to its relationships with the Armed Forces. It is refreshing to see it so established. Congratulations to all at the football club for receiving such a prestigious honour”.
Keith Dibble, Councillor for North Town Ward and Shots Foundation Trustee, said: “Aldershot Town FC along with the Army is at the heart of our community. The club have built very strong links with current military families and veterans. The award is very well deserved.”
Sir John Casey, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Shots Foundation, said: “We are honoured and proud to have received this gold award. Aldershot Town Football Club and Shots Foundation are justifiably proud of our work with the army and the Veterans in our town. We have a unique connection based on the historic role of Aldershot and we look forward to building on our work with the armed forces in the future.”
