We’re delighted to announce that actor and TV personality Antony Cotton is this year’s Ambassador for the Defence Inclusivity category.

Antony has been involved with the military community since 2008. He currently spends a good deal of his spare time working with the Armed Forces, its charity sector and the MoD, trying to help improve the lives of both serving personnel and veterans alike.

He is a patron of Help For Heroes and was made the first ambassador of SSAFA. His official association with these charities began when one of his best friends returned home from serving in Afghanistan and Antony could see that he needed support.

On television, in a long and varied career, Antony played Alexander Perry in the iconic Russell T Davies series Queer As Folk, and also Edina’s website designer Damon in Absolutely Fabulous. Then, in 2003, he signed up for a couple of episodes of Coronation Street. All these years later, Sean Tully – barmaid and knicker stitcher extraordinaire – has become an iconic Street stalwart, front and centre stage, at the heart of the show for almost two decades. Whilst in Weatherfield, Antony has won various awards – including a National Television Award and a British Soap Award for best actor.

But it is his work with the Armed Forces that Antony is most proud, recently working alongside the British Army on OPSMART, their Mental Health and resilience training programme.

With the amount of time he already gives to the military family, we are honoured to have Antony’s support for the Soldiering On Awards.

You can find out more about the Defence Inclusivity Award and see some of its previous winners here.