CLA Veterans Champions

We clarify the concept behind the CLA’s ‘Veterans Champions’ and explain how members can get involved to help ex-military personnel in rural areas
Written by Charles Trotman. First published on 12 Jul 2023, and most recently revised on 25 Jul 2023.
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There will be CLA members who have served in the armed forces of Britain. We need their help, expertise and knowledge to link up with other CLA members to inform and increase awareness. We call these CLA ‘Veterans Champions’.

What are ‘Veterans Champions’?

The CLA Veterans Champions will act as the link between the CLA, veterans support groups and CLA members. Their main objective is to liaise with the membership and highlight the benefits businesses can gain by employing veterans.

We will be creating a network of veterans champions with at least one appointed per CLA branch. This network will discuss directly with veterans support groups the challenges faced by veterans and seeking ways in which to make it easier for ex-military personnel to enter employment.

Linking up CLA members and the veterans community

We already know that some CLA members employ ex-military personnel in a variety of different roles, including management, mechanics, and logistics. But we need to be able to identify them and link them up with other CLA members to share best practice.

Identifying the challenges

It is not just the case that we need to identify the skills needs of CLA employers. It is also necessary to recognise the challenges involved and, singularly or collectively, seek to resolve them.

This means that CLA veterans champions will have the following objectives:

  • To liaise with CLA members on the need to employ veterans;
  • To assist in identifying the needs of CLA rural employers;
  • To disseminate information to CLA members;
  • To help in improving the understanding of the rural economy by the veterans community;
  • To advise the CLA on the methods to support the veterans community;
  • To liaise with veterans support groups to encourage collaboration and the exchange of information.

How CLA members can help

It is important that the CLA can utilise those members who are themselves military veterans. We want to be able to create the network over the next few months and we will be asking those members interested in becoming a Veterans Champion to contact the CLA contact listed below: