Prime Minister, Gordon Brown has paid tribute to members of the Reserve Forces and employers from across the UK, thanking them for the valuable contribution they have made and continue to make to the Armed Forces.
Supportive employers who attended the reception included Therese Procter, HR Director of Tesco and Vijith Randeniya, Chief Fire Officer at West Midlands Fire Service. All employ Reservists who have been mobilised during the last few years.
Speaking at the reception, which was held on Uniform to Work Day and the day before the first national Armed Forces Day, the Prime Minister said:
I don't think we thank people enough and therefore today we do want to thank you personally and individually as employers for what you do and also to thank all the brave and courageous reservists who have most recently had periods of service in some of the most dangerous parts of the world, in Iraq and Afghanistan."
James De Ville who is a teacher at Brockhill Park and a Corporal in the TA based in Ashford, said:
The College has been incredibly supportive of my membership of the TA. When I was serving in Iraq in 2006/7 the last thing I needed was to be worried about my job back home. This reception is a great opportunity to say thank you for that support."
His employer, Sonette Schwartz, Principal at Brockhill Park Performing Arts College near Hythe in Kent said:
People in the TA deserve the support of their employers and we're happy to do whatever we can to help James. We also believe that employers benefit from the training and experience Reservists receive. James is a great role model for the young people at the College."
Tim Corry, the Director of SaBRE (Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers), who organised the reception, said:
When a Reservist is mobilised, knowing they have the genuine support of their employer is extremely important. However, we recognise that at times this can be a challenge for the employer, who has to balance this support with business demands. To help with this, there is a considerable amount of advice and support available which employers can easily access through regionally-based SaBRE representatives."
There are around 34,000 members of the Reserve Forces - of which the majority are in the Territorial Army, with the remainder split between the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve and Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Since January 2003 over 17,000 Reservists have been mobilised for full time active service, mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan.