Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award presented at Churchill War Rooms ceremony

Churchill War Rooms
November 22, 2024

Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award presented at Churchill War Rooms ceremony

  • By Marlborough Highways

Marlborough Highways is proud to announce that its attainment of the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award has been formally recognised at a prestigious event hosted by the East Anglia Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.

The award, presented to Marlborough’s Head of Performance, Sustainability & Social Value, Nick Reading, and Bid Director, Mark Ellerington, took place during an evening ceremony and dinner at the historic Churchill War Rooms in London on 14th November 2024. The event was hosted by His Majesty’s Vice Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Brigadier Tim Seal TD DL VR, making the occasion a fitting celebration for organisations demonstrating outstanding support for the Armed Forces Community.

Event photos – Left: Brigadier Tim Seal addresses guests. Centre: Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award recipients pose for group picture. Right: Marlborough’s Nick Reading speaks with Cllr John Toye, North Norfolk Council.

Marlborough’s Gold Award reflects the company’s commitment to providing tailored employment opportunities for Veterans, Reservists, and Service Leavers, while fostering an inclusive workplace that supports the families of those who serve. Since signing the Armed Forces Covenant in 2022, Marlborough has enhanced its efforts through flexible working arrangements, targeted training initiatives, and active promotion of the Covenant’s values within its supply chain and to the wider industry. This advocacy has been instrumental in encouraging other organisations to recognise and adopt the principles of the Covenant, which champion fairness, respect, and opportunity for the Armed Forces Community in all areas of society.

Reflecting on the honour, Nick Reading said: “Receiving the Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award at such an iconic venue is a tremendous privilege. This recognition highlights Marlborough’s dedication to supporting those who have served and those who continue to serve, not just within our organisation but across our sector. We’re incredibly proud to be part of a movement that ensures Veterans, Reservists, and their families are valued and empowered as they transition to civilian life.”

The ceremony was a poignant reminder of the value of collaboration between employers and the Armed Forces. It showcased the profound impact that businesses can have by championing the values of the Armed Forces Covenant, with Marlborough honoured to stand alongside other organisations committed to making a tangible difference.

(Main image, from left to right: Brigadier Tim Seal, His Majesty’s Vice Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire; Mark Ellerington and Nick Reading, Marlborough Highways; and Major General Tom Bewick OBE, GOC Army Recruiting and Initial Training)

“One of the things I value most is their very collaborative and transparent team culture. It makes a big difference to have a contractor that wants to work closely with us and is supportive and responsive. With Marlborough, I get a team who are attentive, work collaboratively and honestly with me and don’t lose focus on delivering first class communications and compliance.”
Carly Norris, Project Manager Operations, Hackney Council
“From the design stage, Marlborough has been fundamental in delivering the Broad Lane Square improvements scheme. During the works, not only did the team manage to keep to the programme, but they went the extra mile to ensure attention to detail and came up with innovative solutions to address issues encountered on site. My thanks on behalf of Haringey goes out to Marlborough for their dedication to deliver.”
Dana Rasheed, Project Manager, Haringey Council
“Working alongside our Term Service Contractor Marlborough Highways, we successfully completed renovations to the Crowstone Footbridge. The designs were provided by Marlborough, and the work was unique. The scheme was completed to budget and ahead of its programme duration.”
Neil Handley, Senior Engineer, Southend-on-Sea City Council
“I would like to thank you and your team for your efforts, the Marlborough crews were professional, courteous, and hard working all day and ensured the event went without a hitch. You and the team were a credit to the company, demonstrating commitment and support to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.”
Nick Davies, Specialist Services Manager, Barking and Dagenham Council
“I just wanted to say what a pleasure it has been to work with Marlborough Highways over the last six months. The quality of work is superb, and there has been some excellent collaboration between Milestone and Marlborough to complete, what at times, has been quite a challenging scheme. I hope to work with Marlborough on another project in the near future.”
Colin Hill, Schemes Manager, Milestone Infrastructure
“Marlborough worked with us in constructing a 1.3km cycle track. There were a number of technical difficulties to overcome, and their gifted foreman worked to propose some innovative solutions to the challenges we faced. The result is a facility that the locals are proud of, providing walkers and cyclists with alternative access to the hospital and nearby school. The scheme was a lot of hard work, but well worth it.”
Rob Venables, NEC Project Manager, Essex County Council
“Marlborough attracts people who take care and have pride in their work. Several gangs of Operatives worked tirelessly for six months to reconstruct drainage networks, lay more than 3km of high quality bespoke granite kerbs and granite channels blocks to ensure positive drainage. The technical compliance, attention to detail and level of quality finish along the entire carriageway was exceptional”.
Mark Chiverrell, Technical Director, Project Centre
“We saw huge benefits in appointing Marlborough as our full service contractor and we’re impressed – they’ve delivered consistent high quality service and superior quality control across every project. Marlborough, provide us with a ‘one-stop’ shop solution – we get the same quality of service and better control across all aspects of the project.”
Darren Bryant, Principal Engineer, Enfield Council

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