Military Reservists and Employers from Nottingham Honoured at Downing Street Reception

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 UK's Armed Forces.

Representing Nottingham at a Downing Street reception was Lance Bombardier Terry Matthew of 307 Battery of the Royal Artillery who works as a skilled sheet metal worker for ITB Fabrications. He was accompanied by Ian Barnett, the Managing Director of ITB Fabrications which is based in Nottingham. Also attending from Nottingham was Chief Executive Officer of Nexor, Steve Kingan who's employee, Petty Officer Andrew Robinson, has completed a six month tour of duty in Afghanistan providing IT support to 3 Commando Brigade.

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."

Steve Kingan, Chief Executive Officer of Nexor, said, "As a company supplying essential security technology to our troops in the field, it is only natural that we should support reservists like Andrew Robinson. As well as helping the war effort, Andrew gains valuable experience and Nexor receives helpful feedback to improve its business going forward."

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 Navy Reserve, Royal Marine 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.

For more information about SaBRE, please visit www.sabre.mod.uk.

Nexor is a leading provider of information assurance solutions to defence and government agencies. Founded in 1990, Nexor connects, transforms and protects sensitive information to ensure trusted access and secure interoperability. Nexor’s comprehensive portfolio of technology and services is readily tailored to provide a value for money contribution to information assurance programmes.

For further information, please contact: Steve Kingan.