An army reservist from Croydon has been awarded a royal volunteering medal after 10 years of service in the army's Volunteer Reserve.

Croydon Army Reservist Lance Corporal Jonathan Saccoh received the Volunteer Reserve Service Medal (VRSM) at a medal ceremony held at Croydon Army Reserve Centre recently.

Jonathan works as a construction site manager during his civilian life, and said he joined the army reserves a decade ago to broaden his skill set.

Since then the Croydon man put his enthusiasm to good use, from operating with mountain specialists with the Italian army's alpine division to more recently lending a hand with the collective national response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Your Local Guardian: Lance Corporal Jonathan Saccoh receives his medal from Brigadier Phil Prosser Commander Lance Corporal Jonathan Saccoh receives his medal from Brigadier Phil Prosser Commander

"I have really enjoyed the challenge and experiences gained in the Reserves. One of my most memorable moments was training in Italy with the Italian Army 8th Alpine Brigade," Jonathan said.

"More recently I helped provide support to the COVID 19 national emergency.

"The leadership and trade skills learnt in the Reserves have also been put to good use in my civilian role," he added.

In his reservist role Jonathan serves in the 151 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps as an Army Driver.