Major ( Retd ) Pat Ralph MM
Engagement Director , SSGC
Swindon-based SSGC , one of the UK ’ s biggest independent security guarding companies has accelerated its support for ex-services personnel with the appointment of a veteran engagement director .
The firm has appointed Major ( Retd ) Pat Ralph MM to lead its work with service leavers , helping them to access training and careers in civilian life .
The veteran engagement role is the first of its kind in the security industry and underlines the company ’ s commitment to veterans , for which it has recently earned a gold award from the Ministry of Defence ’ s Employer Recognition Scheme . Maj Ralph , who retired from the army following 55 years of service , will ensure SSGC builds on its commitment to the gold standard .
SSGC was set up by former military policeman David Stubbs in 2014 as a niche provider of fully vetted security officers . Its specialism is facilities management for the retail , education and healthcare sectors .
In the last few years SSGC has seen rapid growth . It was deployed to monitor and marshal the Government ’ s Covid-19 testing sites on behalf of Serco and the Department for Health and Social Care . With extremely tight lead times and working in a highly complex , cross-agency operating environment , SSGC rapidly deployed and mobilised hundreds of guarding personnel which resulted it growing its turnover from £ 5 million to £ 25 million in the few weeks the first 2020 coronavirus lockdown commenced .
As a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant , SSGC is committed to supporting the military through remobilisation projects and through Covid-19 the firm employed more than 700 new guards , with many being ex-forces personnel . SSGC supplied staff to 28 testing centres across the country from Aberdeen to Exeter . Its work now is demobilising these centres whilst continuing to grow the business and secure future employment for veterans and other key employees .
We met with Pat to find out more about his relationship with SSGC and how he got involved with the business .
How did your relationship with SSGC begin ? At the time , I was still Assistant Regimental Secretary for my regiment , the Yorkshire Regiment . Part of my job was assisting veterans who found it difficult to transition into civilian life . I was contacted by a veteran who was working for Serco and asked if I could find a workforce that would mobilise over a weekend – 20 would do . Then , within two days everything changed when SSGC was awarded a very large subcontract from Serco . The 20 veterans that I had found would only scratch the surface , we needed hundreds and we needed them fast !
Within five days through the power of Facebook and the regimental family , we managed to get a couple of hundred people , mainly veterans and their dependence , all signing up to help the country get set up with Covid testing centres . We also got some of our army wives involved , working from home to help with scheduling rotas ready for the veterans to start work . The wives were so successful that they kept their jobs after covid , during which time many had moved to Cyprus and were working from Cyprus during the pandemic . They have now returned to Chester with the Yorkshire Regiment and are continuing to work for SSGC .
My relationship with SSGC continued to flourish during those two Covid years , where I was getting veterans from all over the UK from different parts of the military , RAF , navy and army , along with their families .
In total we recruited and mobilised 700 people , all military veterans and their family members . Many of the veterans are still working for SSGC post pandemic . We have veterans working for us whilst trying to recover from PTSD as well as physical injuries from their military service . One of our main recruiters for SSGC is James Rose , a double amputee .
IN PROFILE
Tell us more about your army life I joined the army at 15 and left at 70 . I was in the infantry , so I was a fighting soldier . I went through the ranks and became Regimental Sergeant Major and then took a commission . I was an instructor in many places and a leader in many more . The last 20 years of my military service was spent selecting potential recruits to join the army and then later on working for the Yorkshire Regiment , looking after all activity that was not on training exercises and the battlefield .
We notice you have the letters MM after your name . The Military Medal ( MM ) is awarded for gallantry and devotion to duty . When were you awarded the medal and what for ?
I was awarded the Military Medal in 1974 and was presented it at Buckingham Palace by the queen in 1976 .
I was granted this award for two reasons , one for the number of tours I carried out in Northern Ireland on various operations and two for one particular incident . I was in charge of a planned operation on the border in Northern Ireland , we came under fire , and I helped protect 50 soldiers . This is the short story without going into too many details .
What do you enjoy most about your new role ? Looking after service leavers is the thing that really drives me , because it is not an easy transition , and I want to support veterans and their families , both from a working and benevolent point of view .
What will your work entail ? On the recruitment side of the role , I will be developing our relationships nationally by talking to the veteran community and alerting service leavers to available jobs and training opportunities with SSGC .
I will also ensure we operate to the standards of the gold badge and lead by example through guaranteed job interviews and treating veterans with equal parity to the civilian community .
Ex-service personnel are ideally suited to security roles as they require similar skillsets , such as confidence and communication , as well as the ability to empathise and adapt to changing situations .
Who are you looking to connect with in the local community to help you with your role ?
SSGC is looking to continue to grow the business with new security contracts throughout the UK as well as the Swindon and Wiltshire area . My task will be to further grow my connections and recruit more veterans and their families from this area and beyond . If you ’ re interested in finding out more please get in touch .
To find out more about SSGC visit : www . ssgc-net . com
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THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2022 11