Armed Forces community
Council earns Silver Award for its support to the armed forces community
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Walsall Council has been awarded a Silver Award in the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme (DERS) for its commitment to service personnel and the armed forces community.
“ Walsall Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant last November and pledged further support for our Armed Forces Community in Walsall. Being recognised with this award is a fantastic achievement which demonstrates our ongoing commitment to our serving personnel and veterans.
Along with guaranteed interviews for those who have served in our armed forces, we will further develop opportunities in the coming months. We will also continue our work to ensure that veterans and serving personnel are not disadvantaged when it comes to services such as education, healthcare, welfare, and policing. “
The official UK Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award ceremony will take place at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on Wednesday 11 September 2024.
For more information, visit the council website
The ERS Silver Award is given to organisations that not only pledge but also demonstrate significant support to the armed forces community through their policies and practices. It recognises employers who actively promote and advocate for the employment of veterans, reservists and military spouses and partners.
Walsall Council supports the Armed Forces Covenant and re-signed the covenant with updated pledges in November 2023.
The national Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, will be treated fairly and will not be disadvantaged in accessing public and commercial services as a result of their military service.
It recognises that the whole nation has a moral obligation to members of the armed forces and their families, and it establishes how they should expect to be treated, recognising the sacrifices they make on the nation’s behalf and the responsibilities the nation owes them in return.
The key principles of the covenant are that members of the armed forces community should not face disadvantages arising from their service when accessing local services. In some circumstances, special treatment may be appropriate, especially for the injured and bereaved.
Notes to editors
The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) encourages employers to support defence and inspire others to do the same. The scheme encompasses Bronze, Silver and Gold awards for employer organisations that pledge, demonstrate or advocate support to defence and the armed forces community, and align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant.
For more information, visit: https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-employer-recognition-scheme
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