The Deeside Branch covers the Royal Deeside area of North East Scotland.

The towns of Banchory, Ballater, Aboyne and Braemar host a plethera of small family businesses that provide a quality, friendly service and a wide range of local products.

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Employers Thanked for Reservist Support

A crucial element of Britain's Armed Forces is the vital support they get from Volunteer Reservists. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) supports the work of the Reservists and recognises the contribution that local employers can make to this vital part of the armed forces.

Over the last 7 years, over 20,000 Reservists have been compulsorily mobilised for service in Afghanistan and in other operational centres throughout the world. Just as crucial is the continuing support these Reservists get from their civilian employers – support for ongoing training and for any mobilised service.

SaBRE (Support for Britain's Reservists & Employers) is an organisation that promotes the business benefit of employing reservists. SaBRE provides a support mechanism for both the interests of the individual Reservists and those of their employers.

At a recent ceremony in Aberdeen, several employers who had publically declared their support for the Reserve Forces were each presented with a framed Certificate of Thanks from the Ministry of Defence. The presentations were made by James Ingleby, Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire.

Ron Macgregor, Regional Director of SaBRE activities, said: "Reservists bring so much back to their civilian employment in the shape of transferrable skills – gained whilst in uniform".

A recent study endorsed by the Chartered Management Institute identifies that the average Reservist receives training in transferrable skills that would cost an Employer over £8,000 per year.

Ron added: "It would be very difficult to sustain the Reservist contribution to operations without the vital support of Britain's Employers".

Moira Gash of the local FSB Branch commented: "I think that most businesses appreciate the valuable role that reservists carry out. However I suspect there is a real perception amongst local businesses that it's all about releasing staff for mobilisation. In reality there are other ways that employers can show their support"

For more information please visit the SaBRE website 

Strengthening Links with the CNPA

Deeside Branch, along with the Badenoch & Strathspey Branch (Highlands & Islands Region), are strengthening FSB links with the Cairngorm National Park Authority (CNPA).The FSB have joined the Tourism and Business Delivery Group  where we can debate general business and tourism issues within the National Park boundary.

The Cairngorm National Park Area