MoD salutes Bay funeral directors with gold award

A Torbay-based funeral director has become the first funeral service ever to be awarded the prestigious Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award by the Ministry of Defence.
Paignton-based Katie Mills Independent Funeral Service have been recognised for their commitment to the Armed Forces Community and their family members.
This award, which recognises organisations which employ and proactively support those who serve, veterans and their families, has been awarded to only 17 businesses/employers in the Southwest in 2023.
Having started Katie Mills Independent Funeral Service in July 2020, partners Katie Mills and Rob Potter were passionate about giving back to their community. Signing the Armed Forces Covenant was a way they could show their utter support for people who have served, their country and their families.
From signing the Armed Forces Covenant in 2020 they were awarded the ERS Bronze Award in 2021, and then the ERS Silver in 2022. They were utterly delighted to be then awarded the ERS Gold this year.
Funeral director/partner Katie said: "As an independent funeral business, we feel an enormous responsibility to give back to our community. In our sensitive role, we can help a family through the worst times of their lives, and we should strive to do this responsibly and with compassion.We recognise that those who have served in the Armed Forces or are currently serving, have given their commitment to this country and should never be disadvantaged by this service. We know that serving or ex-serving members of the Armed Forces Community bring unique and valuable skill sets into our industry. They also deserve our gratitude and respect.
"We are delighted that our efforts in supporting this community have been recognised at a national level. Our local Torbay Armed Forces Community has stood beside us on our journey to the Gold Award, and we thank them all for their support alongside our incredible team who have enabled our support for the Armed Forces”.
Rob,, Funeral manager/partner, said: "We are thrilled to have been recognised as an exemplar within our industry and the first funeral service ever to have received the ERS Gold Award. Our approach to the defence community will continue to bring tangible benefits to veterans, reservists, and their families. Coming from a corporate funeral background to establishing an independent business, it was hugely important to us that we should be able to give something back directly to the bereaved families that we care for.
"We established 'Or Heroes' s soon as we opened as a thank you to people who have defended their country and their families. We are proud to say that through our pledges to the Armed Forces Covenant and Blue Light Card Holders, we have saved those members and their families over £26,500 in just the three years that we have been established and will continue to do so. Our support to our local Armed Forces Community is wide-ranging and unique to each family. From financial discounts to researching a lost Military Service Record, we strive to give back where we can as our way of saying thank you”.