Bilberry Software 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 Bilberry Software 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 Bilberry Software 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 Reservists
- UK Cadets
We also pledge the following:
Promoting the Armed Forces: Promoting the covenant on our website Promoting that we employ reservists and CFAVs under the covenant on our website Employment support to members of the Armed Forces Community: Employing reservists and CFAVs Offering an extra 5 days paid leave per year for training to reservists and CFAVs Offering paid leave to reservists on days they need for reserve training commitment during the working week Guaranteeing an interview to reservists (and their families, spouses, and dependents), vet-erans, CFAVs, and cadets for all permanent and contract positions advertised where they meet the eligibility criteria Communications, engagement and outreach: Including our support for reservists and CFAVs on all marketing material and presentations to customers Working with defence on hackathons and training events Creating a dedicated armed forces page on our website Appoint an armed forces champion in our company to promote support to the armed forces community Health Offering access to company mental health benefits and support to employed reservists, CFAVs, and veterans, including reimbursement for monthly psychology support where needed up to £180 per session (for any reason) Promote Op COURAGE to our employees Education: Supporting the cadet forces by providing additional paid leave to CFAVs Offering free support to MOD and the cadet forces during hackathons and training events Civic Responsibilities Provide paid leave for those taking part in national or local remembrance activities and service funerals
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.