Fife business group joins event to support armed forces

In 2018 Fife, Dundee and Angus, Moray and Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce joined with Highland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association (HRFCA) to form ChamberFORCE.

The individual chambers have all been active in the initiatives they have run since the launch, and now they are coming together for a first joint business event at the end of this month.

Retired Brigadier Paul Harkness will be the guest speaker at an event, held via Zoom, on April 30 when he will share the insights and experiences he acquired during a 30-year military career that took him from the Cold War frontline in Germany to the unforgiving environment of Afghanistan to the military/political interface in Whitehall.

The event is being supported by Amazon, whose workforce in Fife includes many with a military background and skills that the company finds invaluable.

Alan Mitchell, chief executive of Fife Chamber of Commerce said: “Our armed forces personnel and reservists do a wonderful job keeping us safe.

"They learn amazing skills when they serve, and those skills can be a huge asset for businesses. Fife Chamber is proud it can help bring those skills into the Kingdom’s business, especially now when they are needed more than ever as we rebuild our economy after Covid.

“Joining forces with link-minded chambers across Scotland to create ChamberFORCE and pool our resources to get our message out to even more businesses was a no-brainer for us, and now we are delighted to be part of the first ChamberFORCE joint event.”

Michelle McKearnon, head of engagement at HRFCA, said: “I am delighted to be supporting this ChamberFORCE event with the Chambers of Commerce from Fife, Dundee & Angus, Dunbartonshire and Moray, and very much looking forward to listening to Brigadier Harkness’ presentation.

Many Reservists have been involved in tackling the Covid Pandemic for the last 12 months, demonstrating their resilience and teamwork under pressure. Defence is very grateful to employers and Chambers of Commerce members for supporting this mobilisation.”

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