Specialist security business SSGC has been shortlisted for three national awards after it enabled hundreds of military veterans to answer a different call to the front line as part of the UK’s battle with Coronavirus.
David Stubbs, managing director of SSGC
The Swindon-based business has been shortlisted in the Lockdown Hero of the Year, Security Guarding Company of the Year, and Security Partnering Initiative of the Year in the prestigious Fire and Security Excellence Awards 2020.
The awards, sponsored by IFSEC and Firex, are now taking place ‘virtually’ on Wednesday, November 25, after the glittering gala dinner in London had to be cancelled in line with coronavirus restrictions.
The award nominations are a recognition of SSGC’s achievement in rapidly mobilising teams of former armed forces personnel to play a pivotal part in the Government’s programme to provide COVID-19 tests at drive-through and walk-in centres across the country.
The business successfully recruited and deployed over 4000 staff in a matter of weeks to help marshal the testing centres as a supplier to Serco, the Government-appointed agency managing a number of centres on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
SSGC managing director David Stubbs, himself a former military police officer, was able answer the Government call after SSGC signed the Armed Forces Covenant (AFC), an undertaking to support the welfare and wellbeing of uniformed personnel who have served their country.
“This has been an incredible journey for SSGC which at the beginning of the year was deploying personnel who were working around 54,000 hours per month and now we are scheduling 700,000-plus hours per month as a result of the pandemic.
“The awards are a recognition of the level of work and commitment which has gone into delivering on this contract in the national interest and is tribute to the former veterans who have been on this journey with us.”
Kate Davies, Director of Health and Justice and Armed Forces, said: “It’s fantastic that veterans are stepping up to support the country once again in the fight against COVID-19.
“We at NHS England and NHS Improvement are hugely grateful to them for providing their expertise and skillset at testing centres across England in this time of need.”
Jonathan Brasher OBE, operations director for the Serco-managed testing centres, said: “Serco has more than 50 years of proud history working with the Armed Forces in the UK and elsewhere.
“When Serco was asked by the DHSC to manage a number of the Covid-19 drive-through testing centres, we reached out to organisations such as SSGC to support us.
“We are delighted this has resulted in so many veterans working at the centres and, once again, making a valuable effort to the national effort, this time to tackle Covid-19.”
For more information about SSGC, visit www.ssgc-net.com or search for SSGC on social media.
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