The Scotland Office Minister met veterans working for the company
UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill visited Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company - which produces high-quality road, rail, and commercial signs - in Renfrewshire to hear more about its work and meet veterans.
UK Government Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill said:
Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company (SBMC) is a division of Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) and operates as a social enterprise based in Bishopton, Renfrewshire.
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Established in 2018 in response to a 2015 Forces in Mind Trust study highlighting significant deprivation among Scottish veterans, SBMC won the King’s Award for Enterprise in April 2023 for Promoting Opportunity through Social Mobility.
SBMC empowers veterans and individuals with disabilities to regain independence through employment and personal development. As Scotland’s only signage social enterprise, it supplies road, rail and commercial signs to the public and private sectors.
The team has grown significantly and is primarily veterans and veteran family members. SBMC is the principal signage supplier to Bear Scotland and several local authorities, holding contracts with public bodies including Forestry and Land Scotland, Scottish Canals, and Scottish Water. It also supplies Tier 1 contractors such as Amey, Balfour Beatty, and RJ MacLeod.
RBLI has supported thousands of veterans over its 106-year history, and more than 70% of its social enterprise workforce are veterans or people with disabilities. SBMC provides nationally recognised training and development opportunities, helping employees regain independence through skills and qualifications. All profits are reinvested to support mental health and accommodation services for vulnerable veterans and their families.
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Robert Lappin, Assistant Director of SBMC and a military veteran himself, said:
Among those the Minister met last Thursday was Anton Docherty, 35, a Royal Artillery Army veteran from Paisley who joined SBMC through its traineeship programme. After overcoming significant challenges with his mental health, Anton has become a valued member of the team as a Manufacturing Operative. Reflecting on his experience,
Anton said:
The previous evening (Wednesday) Minister McNeill hosted a Remembrance Reception at the UK Government’s Queen Elizabeth House HQ in Edinburgh, bringing together Scotland’s Armed Forces community, including Scottish MPs with constituency guests, cadets, Scouts, veteran organisations and Armed Forces representatives.
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