Armed Forces Covenant

Hellesdon Parish Council

________________________________________________

We, the undersigned, commit to honour the Armed Forces

Covenant and support the Armed Forces

Community. We recognise the value Serving Personnnel,

both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military

families contribute to our business and country.

Signed on behalf of:

Hellesdon Parish Council 

Signed:               David King

                     Position:               Chairman Of The Council

    Date:               12-10-2021

The Armed Forces Covenant

An Enduring Covenant Between

The People of the United Kingdom
Her 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

1.1 We, Hellesdon Parish Council, will endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:

• no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen
• in some circumstances special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.

Section 2: Demonstrating our Commitment

2.1 We recognise the value of serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families; and will aim to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by seeking to:

• appoint an Armed Forces Champion to promote support for the Armed Forces community;
• promote the fact that we are an Armed Forces-friendly Council, to our members and wider public; celebrating the work of the Armed Forces and encouraging positive interaction between them and members of the public;
• encourage support for military sponsored Cadet Organisations; encouraging support for and membership of local cadet units;
• support and promote support for Armed Forces Events such as local Breakfast Clubs, Coffee Mornings, Armed Forces Day, Reserves Day, the Poppy Appeal Day and Remembrance activities;
•  support and promote support for Armed Forces Charities;

2.2 We will publicise these commitments through our literature and on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community and our residents on how we are doing.

A pdf version is available.