Understanding today's military
The expectations of today’s service personnel are distinct from those of previous generations. Only by understanding the individuals across the whole force can we design services to serve them effectively.
Sodexo has founded its approach on the insights of bespoke research led by academics and global agencies, as well as existing bodies of work including the UK Armed Forces Continuous Attitudes Survey and Army EATS.
It all starts with the everyday – and when the everyday is taken care of, your people can get on with being extraordinary.
Proud supporters of the Armed Forces
Sodexo has over 40 years of experience supporting the Defence forces of the UK, the US and France. We support individuals, the community and the environment on base, working with military leaders to enhance the physical and mental wellbeing of personnel across all military services.
British Army
Royal Navy
Royal Air Force
Catering, Facilities and Property Services
Village for the whole force
Designed to create connections, build community and foster morale, Village is a multifunctional social hub that incorporates one stop catering, retail and leisure facilities and puts the wellbeing of service personnel at the heart of life on base.
First introduced at Worthy Down Station, Village is a scalable, flexible solution designed to benefit the whole force and integrate with the specific needs of each site and its customers.
Tailored to customer needs
Sodexo has commissioned in-depth research into the customer journeys of individual service personnel, mapping their daily patterns, unique needs and multiple touchpoints from pre-arrival through to departure.
This insight drives our approach to providing outstanding customer experiences, where and when it matters most.
• Our technology enables real-time information sharing
• Our menu reflects food trends and enables peak physical performance
• Our people make every connection count, delivering beyond expectations
Part of the community
Sodexo is committed to supporting military personnel and their communities across every location we serve.
Charity Support
We support several military charities, including SSAFA, where our Stop Hunger Foundation helps to alleviate hunger and encourage good nutrition and cooking skills.
Armed Forces Covenant
We were early signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, and are proud holders of a Gold Employer Recognition Award, reflecting our commitment to the UK Armed Forces community.
Mentoring
Through our long-standing partnership with SSAFA, we provide mentoring to support members of the Armed Forces to successfully transition to civilian life.
Active recruitment of ex-military personnel
Sodexo are keen supporters of SSAFA’s Friendly to Forces pledge; we aim to be the employer of choice for service leavers. As part of the MoD Career Transition Partnership, we have implemented policies to help serving regular and reserve personnel, veterans, and their families to gain employment:
• Positive recruitment of ex-military personnel
• Flexible approach to granting leave for employees, members of the Reserves
• Employment opportunities for spouses of service personnel
£191M
revenue
Sodexo employs over 4,000 people across 150 defence sites within the UK, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands. Ex-forces personnel are well represented within our leadership and delivery teams across the portfolio. We are proud to serve over 50,000 troops and their families, as well as contractors, industry partners and civilians on-site. We support over 25% of the British Army, as well as the largest RAF Station in the UK (Brize Norton) and the home of almost two-thirds of the Royal Navy’s surface ships (HMNB Portsmouth).
Mental Health in the Military
A career in the Armed Forces is unique, and many thrive on the challenges and pressures of military life. For others though, navigating strict routines, balancing responsibilities at work and home, and dealing with loneliness can be overwhelming.
The wellbeing of personnel is central to the effectiveness of the modern Armed Forces. Sodexo employees are well trained to look out for signals of mental suffering, and signpost to support services; our bespoke tools like Mindful Active also help to support mental and physical wellbeing.
Sodexo’s Social Impact Pledge
Our Social Value Strategy outlines our key commitments to People, Planet, Places and Partners, helping to create a greener, healthier, safer and more prosperous society across the UK & Ireland.
• We create employment opportunities and enable our People to thrive – including our employed veterans and their families.
• We protect our Planet by fostering a culture of environmental responsibility.
• We support the Places where we live, by providing services that create equity within our communities.
• We create positive impact for our Partners by taking an inclusive approach to creating resilience and growth amongst our partner network.