We are delighted to announce that RSK Biocensus has been awarded Bronze Employer Recognition by the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. This commitment signifies the business’s recognition and understanding of the contribution made by those who serve or have served in the armed forces and their families to the organisation, their community and their country. For RSK Biocensus, this is the first step on our journey, now we begin to move towards Silver as we continue to provide evidence of our commitment.
We were inspired to join this scheme by Hannah Dennison, who joined our team in 2024. This is her story:
By day, Hannah Dennison is a geographic information system (GIS) consultant at RSK Biocensus, preparing surveys and field maps to assist ecologists, but by night, she volunteers as an army reservist.
Hannah, who previously served in the Royal Engineers for eight years as a geographic technician, joined RSK Biocensus in 2024. Wanting to maintain a role that she had studied at university, as well as building on her role in the army, Hannah was also drawn to the business because of the flexibility the role offers and the difference it makes to the environment. In addition to developing this career, Hannah was keen to continue using the skills she had gained in the military so signed up for the army reserve at her local barracks.
She said: “Although I was a geographic technician in the Royal Engineers, it wasn’t a role that was feasible for me to do as a reservist, so I became a clerk/sub-unit admin in the Adjutant General’s Corps. As part of my job, I am responsible for efficiently administering personnel and finances at unit level.”
“I am with an infantry unit (the main fighting force of the British Army), and it’s been fantastic to learn more about what it does. I’ve found that my ability to cope in different pressured scenarios has come in handy both in my role as a reservist and in my work at RSK Biocensus, highlighting the value of transferable skills.”
Hannah attends weekly drill nights, where reservists learn and are given lessons on subjects such as navigation and weapon identification. At weekends, they complete exercises, putting the skills they learned during the week into practice.
She added: “Sometimes we do adventure training, including mountain biking and taking part in dragon boat racing. Once a year, we attend camp, which takes place over two weeks either in the UK or abroad. Some people are required to complete courses such as basic training. We’re also trying to recruit and like to get out and meet the public to explain what the reserve is and answer any questions they may have”
For Hannah, who has a partner still in active service and a two-year-old daughter, it is not always possible to attend the weekly drill nights or weekend activities. However, thanks to the nature of the reserves’ work and with the support of family, she makes it work.
She said: “My partner and I have lived separately for the majority of the time we’ve been together. We’ve adapted to our normal over the years, and maintaining regular contact is the most important thing. I am lucky he is unlikely to be deployed overseas, so we don’t have to worry about that. It can be hard, but now I am closer to my family, who are incredibly supportive. Just knowing they are there and can pop over if there is an issue makes a huge difference.”
“The beauty of the reserves is that you don’t have to be there every week, and they understand that you have a job and family too. It’s about finding that happy medium where you can try to achieve everything you want.”
In addition to her family, Hannah has been supported by her colleagues at RSK Biocensus. She said: “Everybody has been learning about what being a reservist means and how the business can best support me.”
“The advantage of working from home and having some flexibility in the hours I work means that if I need to finish early on a drill night or if I am going away at the weekend and need to finish early on a Friday, I can make those hours up elsewhere during the week. This allows me to get my work done without having to worry.”
Hannah’s role at the business is to help ecologists accurately reflect their geographic position when gathering data in the field. Location information is shared with Hannah, who transforms it into a visual representation for clients to demonstrate the potential impact or positive outcome the work on the environment could have.
She said: “It’s great to be involved in work that makes a tangible impact. In the military, you’re always training for what might happen, and while it’s a good thing not to have to put that training into action, you do sometimes feel that the effort you’ve invested into developing your skills might not always be recognised.”
Hannah explained how rewarding it feels to have RSK Biocensus supporting her not only as a reservist but also as an armed forces family member and veteran. This sentiment is further amplified by the presence of RSK’s employee-led Armed Forces Network, which unites colleagues from across the group who have links to the armed forces.
The network also provides employees with the opportunity to lend their support by becoming allies, enabling them to learn more about life in and after service. Hannah shared her hopes to become more involved with the network in the months ahead. She added: “It’s great knowing there is a place for people with links to the armed forces to come together, ask questions and offer advice. I’m hoping to become more involved with the network in the months ahead.”
Hannah also plans to complete a trade course, a programme designed to build on basic military training and develop skills specific to different roles within the reserve. From there, she hopes to support new reservists, as well as use her skills to support new members of the GIS team and other colleagues at RSK Biocensus.