Sanctuary has a long history of supporting veterans. Over the past 20 years we have offered a range of support to those who have served in the Armed Forces. We signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2017 and are proud to have recently been awarded Silver status under the Defence Employers Scheme.
Following our acquisition of Johnnie Johnson Housing (JJH) in March 2024, we were delighted to donate £200,000 to SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, to support its work with the Armed Forces.
Who is Sanctuary aiming to support?
Sanctuary aims to support any service leaver, veteran or member of the Armed Forces Community including:
- Residents and potential residents
- Employees and potential employees
- Reservists
- Partners, local authorities and charities
High-quality employment and training
We recognise that there are an estimated one million working age veterans in the UK and that unemployment rates for working age veterans are higher than for civilians. Through Sanctuary’s role as a major employer, we seek to offer veterans and reservists a wide range of opportunities to build a civilian career.
Supporting individuals who want to work
As part of our commitment to making Sanctuary a great place to work and being an employer of choice, we have developed an attractive employment package which veterans can benefit from. The package recognises the contribution of our employees, supports their physical, mental and financial health, and gives them flexibility to tailor their employee benefits. It provides:
- competitive pay
- a range of company paid and voluntary employee benefits
- wellbeing support and tools
- a contributory pension scheme
- employee recognition schemes
We fund an employee advice service which offers face-to-face, telephone and online counselling as well as advice and support on issues around:
- family matters and relationships
- financial, legal and consumer advice
- health, wellbeing, medical, and fitness
Veteran Stories
Accreditations and partners
Career Transition Partnership
Sanctuary is registered with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP). CTP is a recruitment service in partnership with the Ministry of Defence. The CTP provides resettlement services for those leaving the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and Marines. Regardless of time served, all members of the Armed Forces can benefit from CTP support when leaving service.
Armed Forces Covenant
Sanctuary signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2017, a national commitment coordinated by the Government.
Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme – Silver Award
Sanctuary is a silver level employer in the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS). This scheme encourages employers to support defence people and inspire others to do the same. It also recognises employer organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to defence and the Armed Forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.
We were proud and privileged to be formally presented with our Silver ERS award in September 2023.
Forces Families Jobs
Sanctuary is registered with the Forces Families Jobs recruitment site for training, employment and volunteer roles for family members of currently serving UK military personnel.
RFEA, the Forces’ Employment Charity
Sanctuary is registered with RFEA, the Forces’ Employment Charity, to share job opportunities with a wide range of service leavers.