A company that has its UK safety division headquarters in Blyth recently hosted a meeting of the North East Armed Forces Business Forum at its premises in Northumberland as part of its on-going commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.

The event provides a forum for local businesses to meet to discuss their work and contributions to the covenant, troubleshoot challenges they may be facing and share best practice.

One of the members of the Dräger team to welcome guests to the event was David Pickles, business development manager for defence and security, who shared his experience of working within the military and his subsequent move to work in the civilian sector.

Dräger has been part of the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme since 2021 is currently working towards achieving silver accreditation under the scheme.

Representatives of Dräger and members of the North East Armed Forces Business Forum.

placeholder image — Representatives of Dräger and members of the North East Armed Forces Business Forum.

Its related activities include working with local army cadets close to its 36,000m3 site in Blyth to provide safety training.

Malcolm Irving, head of global supply chain management, Safety Division, and managing director, Safety Division UK, said: “Dräger has a long history of working with both the military and its prime suppliers, and it is a great source of pride for our colleagues to know that they are providing military personnel operating in some of the most challenging environments with the very best safety equipment.

“We are delighted to be able to actively support the Armed Forces Covenant and to play a part in giving something back to our military communities and veterans.

“We are fortunate to have a number of colleagues within the company that have military backgrounds and their skills, attitude and experience are a great asset.”