Bicester Motion has been awarded the bronze award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS). The award shows a continued statement of intent to support defence personnel by a UK employer, recognising Bicester Motion’s commitment to provide equal opportunities for all forces personnel and their families, past, present and future by supporting and advocating the employment of service leavers and veterans.
The scheme comprises bronze, silver and gold awards for employers who support those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families.
A number of specialist businesses from Bicester Motion’s Heritage quarter have also been awarded bronze by the ERS; Blue Diamond Riley Services, Classic Performance Engineering, Classic Oils, Harry Fraser Upholstery, Heritage Skills Academy, Historit, Kingsbury Racing, RH45 Insurance and the Vintage Radiator Co.
In 2021, Bicester Motion and 16 of the specialist automotive businesses that call Bicester Motion home, also signed the Armed Forces Covenant, nation-wide promise that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are not disadvantaged by their service and are treated fairly.
Set on the best-preserved pre-War RAF Bomber Training Station in the country, Bicester Motion is an experiential automotive location with plans to encompass the breadth of automotive culture, from existing on-site historic vehicle specialists (at Bicester Heritage) through to future electric and autonomous technology.
Bicester Motion recognises the value that serving personnel, both regular and reservists, in addition to veterans and military families have contributed to the site and the local community. As custodians of a unique military site, and hosts to the monthly Mission Motorsport “Veterans at Heritage” coffee mornings, the signing further cements Bicester Motion’s links with the Armed Forces.
The ERS supports the work of Mission Automotive, the Armed Forces Engagement programme for the automotive industry. The initiative is delivered by Mission Motorsport, The Forces’ Motorsport Charity in partnership with the Society of Motoring Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the Royal Foundation, and is supported by the MOD.
James Cameron, CEO and Founder, Mission Motorsport said, “As a founder member of the Mission Automotive initiative, Bicester Motion continues to open up opportunities for those seeking employment following a military career. We are incredibly proud to be working with all the companies at Bicester Motion who support our work, and are one step closer to making Britain the best place to be a veteran.”
Dan Geoghegan, CEO, Bicester Motion adds: “Here at Bicester our mission remains to provide a welcoming and equal-opportunities workplace for all. Developing our relationship with Armed Forces personnel and the unique skillsets and talent that they offer to our site, is truly remarkable to see.”
About Bicester Motion
Bicester Motion is a unique 425-acre site which aims to offer leisure, culture and tourism experiences within one magnificent destination. Consisting of multiple zones, the Bicester Motion concept comprises of a recently announced 344-room hotel and conference development (which received unanimous planning approval from Cherwell District Council at the end of 2018), and an additional 770,000 ft of operational business and leisure space site wide. Bicester Motion plans to be the first experiential automotive resort where visitors can become fully immersed in the breadth of our automotive culture, from existing on-site historic vehicle specialists (at Bicester Heritage) through to future electric and autonomous technology. This planned low-density development will be dedicated to driving experience and the demonstration of high-tech engineering as well as health, wellbeing, events, accommodation and aviation. As a unique, holistic experience, Bicester Motion seeks to become a UK top 20 tourist attraction that offers a destination for one million tourists many of whom already visit Bicester on day trips, and a further 30+ businesses providing over 2000 skilled jobs to the area. Embracing the location’s inherent history and existing business success, Bicester Motion will provide world class leisure facilities, employment and business opportunities at a leading automotive focused development unlike any other. https://bicestermotion.com/the-quarters/
About Mission Motorsport: The Forces’ Motorsport Charity
The Forces' Motorsport Charity, which has a motto of “Race, Retrain, Recover” is MoD's competent authority for motor sport as a recovery activity, and is a Royal Foundation (the charitable trust of the Prince and Princess of Wales initiative). A Service Charity and a member of the Confederation of Service Charities, Mission Motorsport has an award-winning collaborative model of working with government and the other service charities. As part of the MoD's Career Transition Partnership, the charity helps those leaving the military to find employment in the automotive industry. An appointed IMI training centre, Mission Motorsport's Training Wing delivers industry recognised Electric Vehicle qualifications in addition to Level 3 Diploma courses and full apprenticeships enabling service leavers to bridge the gap between military service and second careers as civilians, beyond injury. Now in its 11th year of operations, Mission Motorsport has delivered hundreds of events providing over 2040 wounded, injured or sick beneficiaries with sporting output, leading to over 400 placements. Representing the wider Armed Forces Community, the charity’s veteran employment programs have paved the way for over 2000 veterans into employment in the Automotive Industry. https://www.missionmotorsport.org/
About Mission Automotive
Mission Automotive is the Armed Forces engagement initiative for the UK automotive industry. Launched in 2019, it is delivered by Mission Motorsport, the Forces’ Motorsport Charity in partnership with the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), with the support of the Ministry of Defence. Mission Automotive addresses a very current need in a very innovative way. By promoting and encouraging the capitalisation of a national human resource that is too often under the radar, unrecognised and underutilised within the automotive industry, it harnesses best practice to help companies create tailored Armed Forces engagement programmes. By guiding and aligning their interactions with the Armed Forces community across brand, corporate and HR areas to support their own business strategies it also helps companies to foster a culture and ethos of inclusivity and support for those who have served. Having worked with many companies in the UK automotive sector, Mission Motorsport through the Mission Automotive initiative has provided assistance to companies including Jaguar Land Rover, Stellantis, Lotus and many more to implement their own Armed Forces Engagement programmes.
