Gary Seath receives prestigious award

Gary Seath receives Reservist of the Year award.

Gary received the award at the Ex-Forces in Business Awards for his outstanding commitment and dedication to his work for Forces Children Scotland, The Captain David Seath Memorial Fund and Help for Heroes, whilst also being an active member of 105^th Regiment (The Scottish and Ulster Gunners) Royal Artillery.

Held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow on 18 April 2023, the Ex-Forces in Business Awards is the world’s largest celebration of ex-military personnel who have transitioned into careers beyond the military – recognising the real value veterans add to businesses and their employers, who support the transition of servicepeople across Scotland so proudly.

The event saw thirteen winners awarded the respected award from over three hundred nominations – nominations from far and wide across Scotland, all vying to honour their employees for demonstrating immense value that they, within the Armed Forces community, add to their Scottish employers across all sectors.

Gary has secured and managed over £1Million of funding to co-develop projects and services to support 12,500 children from Armed Forces and veteran families and has founded the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund, which has raised £350,000 to support veterans, through Help for Heroes.

Gary Seath said:

“It is a huge honour to have received this award, but I want to recognise five further exceptional finalists who have achieved incredible things, having made the transition from military to civilian life to realise their potential and thrive across many sectors.

“It meant so much to receive an award from the armed forces community, having worked for many years in the third sector supporting veterans as well as their children and young people, through my work with the Captain David Seath Memorial Fund, Help for Heroes and Forces Children Scotland.”

Nominated for the award by Forces Children Scotland, Chief Executive Officer, Laura Falconer said:

“Gary’s work at Forces Children Scotland has been exemplary; from the minute he joined the charity, he has worked with incredible passion and dedication to help improve the lives of children and young people from armed forces and veteran families across Scotland.

“Gary’s role carries significant responsibility and delivers work to an exceptionally high standard of professionalism. The fact he does so to such a high standard alongside his reservist commitments is remarkable; I have never worked with such a dedicated team member.

“We’re delighted Gary has received such well-deserved recognition.”

Service people spend years adapting to roles and gaining valuable transferrable skills which are highly valuable to businesses across Scotland. They develop qualities which are hugely adaptable to commercial environments and in demand in the business world and add real value to any business worth its salt.

Communicating these valuable and in-demand skills to employers can be challenging but rest assured that when an employer hires a veteran and reservist, they are gaining experience that is unrivalled by their non-military counterparts.

Increasing the visibility of military role models is crucial to empowering and inspiring current and future service leavers, but to educate employers on the value of supporting the transition of servicepeople.

However, this award category approaches matters from a different perspective in the sense it recognises and celebrates the achievements of those who have developed civilian careers, whilst serving in the Reserve Forces across all three arms of the British Armed Forces – the Royal Navy, the British Army, and Royal Air Force.

Gary has served in F Troop, 212 (Highland) Battery, 105^th Regiment Royal Artillery (RA) for four years, following in the footsteps of his brother, Captain David Seath, who served in Afghanistan and the Middle East with distinction with 19 Regiment RA and 29 Commando RA, respectively.

“Being a reservist in 105^th Regiment RA has expanded my horizons in many ways. I have gained many memorable experiences which has served to develop new skills, build a unique sense of confidence, and forge many new connections.

“I consider it a huge honour to be part of the Army Reserve, which is something much bigger than myself and 105 RA is somewhere you are accepted, respected and encouraged to push beyond comfort zones in order to realise potential and thrive.”

Lieutenant Colonel Huw Gilbert, Commanding Officer, 105^th Regiment (The Scottish and Ulster Gunners) Royal Artillery, said:

“Gary is thoroughly deserving of this award. Reservists military and civilian roles are often complimentary of one another. Gary’s contribution over such a wide spectrum is, however, truly outstanding.”