Thought Leaders Blog - In Professional Development

Remembrance Day 2024

Written by Jessica Smith | 11 November 2024

As Remembrance Day approaches, we at In Professional Development (InPD) take a moment to reflect on the significance of this day and the extraordinary people it honours. Our team is made up of individuals from many different walks of life, including those who have served in the military. Recognising the sacrifices of our service members is a core value of our organisation, and one we take to heart.

This year, we’re proud to be making a £150 donation to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. It's our way of contributing to this vital cause, while also expressing our gratitude to the many members of our team who have military backgrounds and to all those who have served in our armed forces.

The Royal British Legion: Lifelong Support for Our Armed Forces

The Royal British Legion is the UK’s largest military charity, founded in 1921. With 180,000 members and 110,000 volunteers, the Legion is dedicated to supporting our active and retired service members, as well as their families. Through initiatives like the Poppy Appeal, they raise funds to ensure those who have served in the military get the support they need—from financial assistance to help with transitioning into civilian life.

How Your Donation Helps

Donations to the Poppy Appeal help provide critical support to service members and their families. Whether it’s financial support, physical care, or emotional help, the Royal British Legion ensures that those who served our country are never left without the support they deserve. Many service members may not ask for help, but the Legion is there to make sure that no one is forgotten.

A Message From Our Ex Military Team Members

"Remembrance day is a day to reflect and remember those who gave so much to protect our freedoms. It’s our duty to make sure that not one of those sacrifices is forgotten."

At InPD, we’re fortunate to have several tutors with military backgrounds. One of them, Alex Firmin, shared what Remembrance Day means to him:

“I’m proud to be one of several InPD tutors who are ex-forces. The shared values established through our service mean we’re still a close team today. We also share the reality of having lost friends and colleagues in conflict, and Remembrance Day is a significant date as we take a pause to remember them.” 

Our Commitment Through the Armed Forces Covenant

The Armed Forces Covenant: This is an initiative that ensures that current and retired service members and their families are treated fairly in civilian life. In Professional Development have signed this initiative, and we have since been awarded a Forces Friendly Employer Silver Award by the North West of England and the Isle of Man Reserve Forces and Cadets Association (NW RFCA) on behalf of the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme for our support for our retired service member employees and service member customers and their families. Some examples of our commitments to the armed forces community are supporting military reservists and ex-military service people, assisting them in returning to civilian life, providing discounts for ex-service people and their family members on our training courses, and providing internal training opportunities for ex-service members.

Our Military Charity Partnerships

At In Professional Development, we have a number of related partnerships and affiliations with military charities. Like the Royal British Legion, these charities, organisations and initiatives strive to also provide vital support to the armed forces community. We are very proud of these partnerships, affiliated charities and initiatives, such as;

  • Career Transition Partnership: This organisation focuses on assisting service leavers with making the transition from the military sector to the private sector. CTP provide resettlement services for those leaving the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines, regardless of the amount of time that they have served. They also operate as an intermediary service for employers wishing to hire from the service leavers and veterans pool of talent; one of the ways that an organisation can assist service members to make the transition from a military career to a civilian career as smoothly as possible.
  • Forces Families Jobs: This organisation serves as an online training and employment platform for the partners of those currently serving in the armed forces. They see the importance in not only supporting service members, but also their partners. It can be difficult for partners of service members to study and to find the right career, especially if they have had to relocate or move overseas due to their partner’s role within the military. As a result, FFJ provides a virtual platform that allows partners of service members to learn valuable skills and to find flexible career opportunities that can accommodate their military lifestyle.
  • SSAFA, The Armed Forces Charity: This organisation has been providing practical, emotional and financial support to the armed forces and service member’s families since 1885. At In Professional Development, we see the value that this organisation brings in supporting the armed forces community, and we have engaged in an ongoing fundraising campaign for SSAFA, regular coffee mornings, social media marketing to our professional network to raise awareness and encourage donations, and a fundraising web page where our employees and followers can make their own donations.

How You Can Help

We invite you to join us in supporting the Royal British Legion this Remembrance Day. The sacrifices made by our service members are impossible to repay, but we can ensure they receive the support they need by donating.

Click here to learn more about the Royal British Legion, and make a donation today.

At InPD, we are proud to honour the service and sacrifices of our military community, and we’re committed to supporting them in every way we can. Together, we remember - and together, we help make sure their contributions are never forgotten.