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The Armed Forces Covenant
An enduring covenant between, the people of the United Kingdom, His Majesty’s Government – and – all those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of the Crown and their families.
The first duty of Government is the defence of the realm. Our Armed Forces fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the Government, sacrificing some civilian freedoms, facing danger and, sometimes, suffering serious injury or death as a result of their duty. Families also play a vital role in supporting the operational effectiveness of our Armed Forces. In return, the whole nation has a moral obligation to the members of the Naval Service, the Army and the Royal Air Force, together with their families. They deserve our respect and support, and fair treatment.
Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most, such as the injured and the bereaved.
This obligation involves the whole of society: it includes voluntary and charitable bodies, private organisations, and the actions of individuals in supporting the Armed Forces. Recognising those who have performed military duty unites the country and demonstrates the value of their contribution. This has no greater expression than in upholding this Covenant.
Section 1: Principles of The Armed Forces Covenant
We, Surrey Heath Borough Council, will endeavour to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant:
- Members of the Armed Forces Community should not face disadvantages arising from their service in the provision of public and commercial services.
- In some circumstances special provision may be justified, especially for those who have given the most, such as the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our Commitment
We recognise the contribution that Service personnel, reservists, veterans, the cadet movement and military families make. We seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant by developing and implementing an action plan that:
- Provides appropriate employment support to members of the Armed Forces Community and their families or immediate dependents
- Includes clear and accessible communications demonstrating our support which includes:
- Information about benefits and financial support available
- Signposts health and wellbeing information, discounts and services
- Promotes awareness of housing and homeless services and supports veterans and their families access appropriate housing
- Recognises the importance of taking part in civic activities and responsibilities
- Provides training, information and support to frontline staff who support veterans and their families
- Provides appropriate family support to help dependents access services and ensure the wellbeing of military families
We will publicise these commitments through our literature and website. We will set out timescales for the action plan supporting the pledges, inviting feedback from the Armed Forces Community to evaluate our initiatives reporting back to the Community Engagement Working Group on progress.