Wirral Council recognised with Ministry of Defence Award

26 June 2025

Photo of the mayor and mayoress of Wirral and acting chief executive of the Council, Jason Gooding, celebrated achieving the ERS Silver Award with representatives from Wirral's Armed Forces community.

The mayor and mayoress of Wirral and acting chief executive of the Council, Jason Gooding, celebrated achieving the ERS Silver Award with representatives from Wirral's Armed Forces community.

Wirral Council’s support to the Armed Forces community - including reservists, veterans, and military families - has been recognised as exceptional by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which has granted the authority a Silver Award under its Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

The Mayor of Wirral, Councillor Brian Kenny, said:

As we look forward to Armed Forces Day on Saturday, it is fantastic to know that the Council’s efforts to embed supportive employment policies, promote defence values, and advocate for service personnel in the civilian workforce has been recognised by the MOD.

This is a huge achievement, and I congratulate all those who are helping to make sure that our reservists, and the wider Armed Forces community, get the support and recognition they deserve. I’m proud to say that work is already underway to build on this success, with our ambition to achieve a next-level Gold Award in the coming years

Wirral Council is one of 307 organisations across the UK to be awarded the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Silver Award for 2025.

To receive a Silver Award recipients must typically demonstrate:

● Paid leave for Reservist training and mobilisation
● Active veteran recruitment and retention policies
● Flexible support for military families
● Visible leadership endorsement of the Armed Forces Covenant

Major General Jamie Gordon, Chief Executive of the Council of Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations, said:

These Silver Award winners are trusted allies of Defence. They don’t just talk about support - they show it, every day, through flexible policies, visible advocacy, and long-term commitment to those who serve. This is about more than good intentions; it’s about practical, sustained support that strengthens our national resilience. It is very pleasing that they have been recognised for all that they do our Reservists, Veterans and Cadets.