Bromley Council is extending its 10-year commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant in an expression of recognition and care for those who have served, or are serving, in the military.
A renewed Armed Forces Covenant, which states that Bromley Council will recognise the contribution that service personnel, both regular and reservist, veterans, and military families, make to the organisation, community and country, will be signed at a special ceremony to be held on Reserves Day, 21st June 2023.
The renewal of support comes a decade after Bromley Council first pledged its support to the Armed Forces, signing the original Armed Forces Covenant in April 2013.
Speaking about the Armed Forces Covenant, Cllr Colin Smith, Leader of Bromley Council, said: “The heroic men and women who make huge personal sacrifices to serve our country deserve our utmost respect and thanks. But more than that, they deserve our support and assistance. That is why, in addition to signing the Armed Forces Covenant and renewing our official commitment to them, Bromley Council is looking at further ways to deepen and improve our support for Armed Forces personnel and their families living in the borough and the reservists who are an integral part of our own workforce.”
The Mayor of Bromley, Cllr Mike Botting, who is Bromley’s Armed Forces Champion, added: “As a member of the Royal British Legion, this is a cause very close to my heart. The skills and experiences of Armed Forces personnel and reservists enrich and improve both our community and our workforce. Renewing the Armed Forces Covenant is a fantastic acknowledgement of their importance to the borough and a public statement of our commitment to support them.”
Since Bromley Council originally signed the Armed Forces Covenant, which formalised the borough’s obligation to provide specific assistance to members of the armed forces, it has put a number of schemes in place to ensure equal access to governmental and commercial services.
These actions include:
- Additional preference with regards to housing
- Assistance with school allocations
- Supporting reservists employed by the council with flexibility and additional leave
- Specific inclusion within key health and wellbeing strategies
- Promotion of information regarding ex-service organisations
- Marking of Remembrance Day and Armed Forces Day with event at the Civic Centre.
In preparation for renewing the Armed Forces Covenant, the council has worked closely with the Head of Community Engagement at the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust about further ways in which the council could provide additional and effective support.
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- For media enquiries, please contact Matthew Amer, senior public affairs officer, on 020 8313 4938 or email matthew.amer@bromley.gov.uk