Mitie has been recognised for its dedication in supporting the armed forces community by being named as a Silver Award holder on the government's Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

The Award is designed to highlight private sector businesses which are leading the way in supporting the UK armed forces community and have values that are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant. As part of achieving the Silver Award, Mitie has demonstrated that it encourages people from the military community to join the business, as well as actively communicating to the rest of its employees Mitie's HR policies to support veterans, reservists and military spouses.

Mitie has already established several initiatives to support its hundreds of employees that are members of the Forces community. For example, Mitie recently launched its new armed forces network, Mitie Military. The network was created to offer Forces colleagues a forum to share experiences and drive positive changes within the business. Mitie has also launched a dedicated Armed Forces Career Portal designed for those with a military background to explore potential career opportunities at the UK's leading facilities management company.

Charles Antelme DSO, Head of Defence, Mitie, said:

"As a proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, it is fantastic to see our support for veterans, reservists and armed forces relatives recognised. The Forces community offers an invaluable contribution to our business, and we intend to build a new benchmark in the FM industry. We hope through our current and future initiatives we can encourage even more people to join our Mitie Military family."

Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, Defence Secretary, said:

"These awards recognise the outstanding support for our armed forces from employers across Britain and I would like to thank and congratulate each and every one of them.

"Regardless of size, location or sector, employing ex-forces personnel is good for business and this year we have doubled the number of awards in recognition of the fantastic support they give."

Johnny Mercer MP, Minister for Defence People and Veterans, said:

"Veterans make a huge contribution to businesses across the country and it's fantastic to see a record-breaking number of organisations recognised for their support.

"We're working closely with businesses to help them further understand the huge value that veterans, reservists and military spouses can bring to their organisation."

For more information on how Mitie supports veterans, reservists and families of the armed forces, visit www.mitie.com/armedforces.

Notes to editors

About Mitie

Founded in 1987, Mitie is the UK's leading facilities management and professional services company. It offers a range of specialist services including Security, Engineering Services, Cleaning, Landscaping, Energy and Property Consultancy and Custody Support Services.

Mitie employees 52,500 people across the country, looking after a large blue-chip customer base, from banks and retailers, to hospitals, schools and government offices. It takes care of its customers' people and buildings, by delivering the basics brilliantly and by deploying advanced technology. It is pioneering the Connected Workspace, using smart analytics to provide valuable insight and deliver efficiencies to create outstanding work environments for customers.