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Armed Forces Community Covenant

What is the Covenant and what does it mean?

The Armed Forces Covenant exists between the people of the UK and the Armed Forces and their families. It lays out the principles that should exist in the relationship between the Armed Forces and the rest of the Nation, including respect, support and fair treatment. It makes clear that no-one who has served should face disadvantage from their service and that, in some cases, special consideration is appropriate. Through its membership, Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) has made a commitment to the wider Armed Forces Covenant, to support the Armed Forces community within Gloucestershire.

The Armed Forces Community

The Armed Forces community comprises of Regulars and Reservists from the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and Royal Air Force, their families and veterans, including National Service.

Aims of the Covenant

  • Encourage local communities to support the Armed Forces community in their areas.
  • Encourage the Armed Forces community to help and support the wider community, whether through participation in events and joint projects or other forms of engagement.
  • Promote understanding and awareness among the public of issues affecting the Armed   Forces  community.
  • Recognise and remember the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces community.
  • Encourage activities which help to integrate the Armed Forces community into local life.

Members of the Covenant

The County Council is joined in the Covenant by partners from the public and third sectors. For a list of our Covenant partners and a copy of the Covenant please see the related documents section on the right hand side of this page. The new Covenant Champion for GCC is Cllr. Andrew Gravells and his email address is Andrew.GRAVELLS@gloucestershire.gov.uk

Joining the Covenant

New organisations are always welcome to join the Covenant to raise awareness and show their support. A list of recent organisations already signed up to the Covenant can be found in the Annual Report. There is also the Corporate Covenant for those businesses that wish to pledge their assistance. For more information on joining the Covenant, or for any other questions, please contact the Armed Forces Covenant team at afcovenant@gloucestershire.gov.uk

The Covenant Fund

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust has £10M a year to fund projects that support the Armed Forces Community and local grants of up to £20,000 are made available for local projects that support Community Integration and/or Delivery of Local Services. 

You can read about grants that were awarded by the Covenant Fund over the past five years below:-

2019/202018/192017/182016/172015/16    

New funding is now available for supporting the Armed Forces Community programmes for 2022/23. They have two programmes detailed below:

Royal British Legion External Grants to organisations

The Royal British Legion provides funds to help the wider Armed Forces Community.  Applications are welcome from organisations running, or planning, charitable activities in support of the Armed Forces community. For more information visit the Royal British Legions External Grants Portal.

Forces Connect South West

Forces Connect South West is a partnership that provides services and support to the military community.  It is comprised of seven partner Local Authorities and is developing a regional forum, which will involve organisations from the NHS, Police, Ambulance and Fire, the Ministry of Defence, regular and reserve units of the RN, RM, Army and RAF, Military Charities and support organisations and business, commerce and industry.

The initiative was established with Funding from the MOD Covenant Trust Fund aims to improve the experience of the military community and help them access, better understand and navigate all public services as well as support them during their transition on leaving the services. A Forces Connect South West website has been designed to simplify the identification, understanding and the pathways to accessing the right support when and where required. It also provides information and resources to help better understand the Armed Forces Covenant in the South West and nationally. 

The Veterans’ Gateway is the first point of contact for any ex-service personnel and their families looking for advice or support. They provide the first point of contact to a network of military and non-military partner organisations to help you find exactly what you need, when you need it – whether you’re in the UK or overseas. 

They cover seven key areas:-

  • Housing
  • Employment
  • Finances
  • Living Independently
  • Mental Wellbeing
  • Physical Health
  • Family and Communities

Contact Veteran's Gateway on 0808 802 1212 (24 hours, 365 days a year) Text: 81212

Armed Forces Covenant support

Whether you are currently in the Armed Forces or you are leaving the armed forces you and your families often need advice on issues including health, education, housing, training and jobs. The Council is here to support you and your family with these issues.

Information and Support

 

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