People and communities
Delivering the Armed Forces Covenant in Walsall
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A new Armed Forces Covenant with updated pledges was approved at a Cabinet meeting at Walsall Council on Wednesday 18 October 2023.
The covenant will be formally launched and signed at an armed forces community networking event at the conference rooms in the Council House in Walsall on Saturday 18 November 2023 from 11am to 2pm.
The covenant will be signed by Councillor Hicken, the council’s Armed Forces Champion, Councillor Chris Towe, the Mayor of Walsall, and a representative from the Ministry of Defence. A new action plan underpinning the council’s commitment will be produced following consultation with the community to understand the challenges faced locally.
The event will include information stands and representatives from a variety of organisations. They will highlight what sort of advice and support is available to current and former personnel and their families as well as promoting local opportunities for volunteering.
Around 2.2% of the Walsall population is identified as a veteran and this equates to around 6,500 people (Office for National Statistics).
The Cabinet previously approved a voluntary local Armed Forces Covenant in 2013. The Armed Forces Act 2021 placed a new statutory duty on some public bodies, including local authorities, to have regard to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant in their policy development and decision making, covering aspects of education, healthcare and public housing.
“ Walsall Council is proud to support the Armed Forces Covenant. This covenant recognises the value service personnel, both regular and reservist, veterans and military families contribute to the council, our local communities and to the country.
As a local authority, we are committed to offering the best possible support to the armed forces community across the borough. We want to make sure that organisations do not discriminate against those who have served or their families and we will promote understanding and awareness of the covenant and provide employment support to members of the armed forces community. “
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.
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