Soldiering On Awards

Today has been a momentous occasion for me in the City of London. I’m deeply honoured to have taken my Declaration of a Freeman and participated in my Freedom Ceremony with the The Worshipful Company of Glovers of London. You might wonder, what’s that all about? Some may think it’s linked to driving sheep over London Bridge – and while that's a quirky part of the tradition, there's so much more to it! The Freedom of the City of London is a historic and prestigious honour. It’s the highest recognition the City can bestow, reserved for remarkable individuals and an enduring tradition. Reflecting on the roll of other Freemen such as Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Bill Gates, Dame Judy Dench, and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, alongside Honorary Freemen and icons like Florence Nightingale, Lord Kitchener, Jawaharlal Nehru, Nelson Mandela, and members of the Royal Family – who have all done or are doing great things in their communities - leaves me incredibly humbled. Being part of the Worshipful Company of Glovers of London is a personal passion. It reflects my commitment to the gloving trade, fashion, and sustainability. I’m already excited about exploring collaborations with other Worshipful Companies, including the Entrepreneurs, Leather, and healthcare merchandising sectors. For today, I’m pausing to truly take it all in - a day to celebrate this honour, feel grateful for the love and support around me, and reaffirm my dedication to giving back to the communities I serve. Here’s to tradition, progress, and honouring the past as we shape the future. #FreedomoftheCity #CityofLondon #GloversLivery #TraditionAndInnovation #Gratitude

Thank you to the Team, Board, Clients, Stakeholders and most importantly the valued members of our community the people and families we support. As we close out 2024, I am filled with pride and gratitude as we reflect on an incredible year for X-Forces Enterprise and the Soldiering On Awards. Our dedicated efforts continue to support members of the Armed Forces community to realise their potential, while shining a light on remarkable resilience, innovation, and achievement. With the awarding of the new Career Transition Partnership contract to Reed in Partnership, we are delighted to continue delivering enhanced enterprise and entrepreneurship resettlement programmes for those leaving the military. Beyond the CTP contract, we are working with our charity partners Army Benevolent Fund, Greenwich Hospital, and the Royal British Legion, to provide members of the military family with enterprise skills to help them make informed decisions about their futures. It was particularly poignant to deliver our first face-to-face Masterclass since Covid on the evolving topic of digital marketing at the spectacular Rolls-Royce facility near Bristol. This was coupled with a ‘lunch and learn’ session where I shared with the Rolls-Royce team the story of my journey and that of XFE, with key insights about my own integration into the Armed Forces as a #Reservist. Another milestone moment came in May of this year when we journeyed north to Warrington with Richard Bearman of British Business Bank to celebrate with our 3000th recipient of a #StartUpLoan, Phil Williams, at his splendid Krapow Thai Restaurant. Moving on to the #SoldieringOnAwards, a spectacular occasion with astonishing finalists, inspirational speakers, and fabulous entertainment. Stories of selflessness and excellence remind us why the mission of SOA matters so much. Veterans and People Minister Alistair Carns had the opportunity to attend his first SOA and was fulsome in his admiration for our community – and the Awards themselves - in a wonderful address. The Soldiering On Awards also provided the perfect platform to launch the #SoldieringOnAcademy, which in 2025 will deliver lifelong enterprise skills training to enhance employability and introduce pathways into entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and employment. Volunteering remains a central tenet of our organisation's ethos, so we were proud to volunteer our time to deliver a Cadets in Enterprise weekend for wonderful young people from the Army Cadet Force and the Royal Air Force Air Cadets. This culminated in a graduation ceremony in the iconic setting of the LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) building in Paternoster Square. On a personal note, as a proud serving Reservist I was delighted to receive my Coronation Medal and I look forward to continuing my service to the country, my community, and society as a whole. Wishing you and your loved ones a peaceful and relaxing Christmas and New Year 🎄