Armed Forces community
Walsall Council presented with Ministry of Defence Employer award at National Memorial Arboretum
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Walsall Council has been officially presented with a Silver Award through the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme (DERS) for its commitment to service personnel and the armed forces community.
The event took place at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire on Wednesday 11 September 2024, where Councillor Adam Hicken, Walsall Council’s Armed Forces Champion, accepted the award on the authority’s behalf.
The ERS Silver Award is given to organisations that demonstrate significant support to the armed forces community through policies and practices. It recognises employers who actively promote and advocate for the employment of veterans, reservists and military spouses and partners.
“ I am very proud of the work Walsall Council does to support the armed forces community across the borough. To go from the bronze award to the silver in just eight months is something we should celebrate.
“It is a great achievement to be recognised with this award. It demonstrates that we are committed to supporting our serving personnel, veterans and families.
“We will continue our work to ensure that veterans, serving personnel and their families are not disadvantaged when it comes to services such as education, healthcare, welfare and housing. “
Around 2.2% of the Walsall population is identified as a veteran and reservist, equating to around 6,500 people (Office for National Statistics).
In November 2023, Walsall Council re-signed the armed forces covenant with updated pledges, committing to continue to support those who have served.
The key principle of the covenant is that members of the armed forces, veterans, and their families 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.
In a continuation of this commitment, Walsall Council moved to acknowledge ‘armed forces’ as a protected characteristic in July 2024, furthering the protection and support offered by the authority.
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