A & P Group Ltd
We, the undersigned, commit to honour the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community. We recognise the value Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.
The Armed Forces Covenant
An enduring covenant between the people of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Government and all those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of the Crown and their families
The first duty of Government is the defence of the realm. Our Armed Forces fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the Government, sacrificing some civilian freedoms, facing danger and, sometimes, suffering serious injury or death as a result of their duty. Families also play a vital role in supporting the operational effectiveness of our Armed Forces. In return, the whole nation has a moral obligation to the members of the Naval Service, the Army and the Royal Air Force, together with their families. They deserve our respect and support, and fair treatment.
Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.
This obligation involves the whole of society: it includes voluntary and charitable bodies, private organisations, and the actions of individuals in supporting the Armed Forces. Recognising those who have performed military duty unites the country and demonstrates the value of their contribution. This has no greater expression than in upholding this Covenant.
Section 1: Principles of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant
1.1 We A & P Group Ltd will endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:
- no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen;
- and in some circumstances that special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our commitment
2.1 A & P Group Ltd recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by pledging to the following:
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
- UK Service Spouses And Partners
- Flexible Leave For Spouses
- UK Reservists
- UK Cadets
- Armed Forces Day
- Reserve Forces Day
We also pledge the following:
Promoting the fact that we are an armed forces-friendly organisation by: Publicising our Corporate Covenant Commitments on our website Displaying the Corporate Covenant Logo on our website and newsletters Working in partnership with MOD, RN, RFA and BAE as maintainer of choice for the Fleets FOPVs, SSHOs, LSDAs and PCRV. Recruiting, training and managing 10 Marine Support Technicians that support a LSDA alongside in a live operational condition and cover all fire flood and safety issues Continuing to match fund MOD in sponsoring the appointment of a RN Liaison Officer in the port and provide admin and IT support to this post Promoting among A&P Staff due appreciation and support for Armed Forces personnel working at or visiting the Falmouth Shipyard as part of our Customer is King philosophy Supporting the local poppy appeal collection in November to raise funds for the Royal British Legion Seeking to support the employment of veterans young and old by: Working with the Career Transition Partnership to ensure employment opportunities are made available to veterans Valuing and recognising military skills and qualifications when interviewing for positions Inviting to interview, wherever practical, those veteran applicant who meet the selection criteria for an advertised job Being available to engage with the Recovery Career Service to support employment opportunities for wounded, injured or sick veterans wherever practicable Striving to support the employment of Service spouses and partners by: Inviting to interview, wherever practical, those spouses and partners applying for jobs that meet the selection criteria for an advertised job Endeavouring to offer a degree of flexibility in granting leave for Service spouses and partners before, during and after a partners deployment Providing special paid leave for employees who are bereaved through the loss of a member of the Armed Forces Seeking to support our employees who choose to be members of the Reserve forces by: Supporting RN aspirations to establish a RNR Unit at Falmouth and subsequently to work with SaBRE as a supportive employer Accommodating their training and deployment wherever practicable and possible Providing up to 5 days paid in the leave year in support of Reservist training commitments Encouraging any Reservists on our business to participate in Uniform to Work Day Offering support to our local cadet units wherever practicable or possible by: Identifying potential sponsorship support, help or facilities where practicable Encouraging our employees to consider volunteering to be cadet helpers or instructors where practicable Supporting Armed Forces Days by: Promoting the annual Armed Forces Day on our website and Newsletters Encouraging our employees and their families to attend the annual Local Armed Forces Day events
2.2 We will publicise these commitments through our literature and/or on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community and our customers on how we are doing.