Council signs the Armed Forces Covenant

08 October 2021

West and North Northamptonshire Councils have signed a national Covenant showing their commitment to supporting members of the Armed Forces community to ensure they are treated with fairness and respect in all aspects of their life.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a pledge to acknowledge and understand the needs of the Armed Forces community and aims to build a more open and honest relationship between employers, the Ministry of Defence and reservists. 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.

Cllr Jonathan Nunn, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council and Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council, demonstrated a countywide pledge of support for the armed forces community by both signing the Covenant for their organisations at a ceremony at Northampton’s Franklin’s Gardens on Thursday, October 7.

Additionally, each Council has appointed an Armed Forces Covenant Member Champion and a designated Senior Officer who will be building relationships with the local Armed Forces community and assisting the Councils to meet their duties regarding the principles of the Covenant.

The Covenant's two principles are that:

• The Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services in the area where they live;
• Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved

We not only appreciate our Armed Forces’ service to the country but also the important role they play in our communities throughout Northamptonshire. Signing the Covenant reflects our commitment to ensuring that those serving the country in the armed forces and their families are not disadvantaged in any way in this county.Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council

Signing and upholding the Covenant is the best way we can show our support and how much we value the contribution and sacrifices made by all of our Armed Forces.

We are absolutely committed to supporting our Armed Forces community and delighted to be able to formally demonstrate this by agreeing  to uphold its principles and be an Armed Forces-friendly organisation to its staff, customers, suppliers, contractors and the wider public.Cllr Jonathan Nunn, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council