Dartmouth Town Council
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, His 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 Dartmouth Town Council 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 Dartmouth Town Council 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:
- Armed Forces Friendly
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
- UK Service Spouses And Partners
- Flexible Leave For Spouses
- UK Cadets
- Armed Forces Day
- Reserve Forces Day
- Armed Forces Charities
- Additional Leave For Reservists
We also pledge the following:
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Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC).
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Royal Navy personnel and trainees based in Dartmouth.
-Service Personnel and Veterans residing within the Dartmouth area.
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Local Reservists and Cadet organisations.
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We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant through: Engagement and Partnership.
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Maintain active liaison with Britannia Royal Naval College to strengthen civil-military cooperation.
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Engage with local Armed Forces units, Cadet organisations, and Veterans’ associations within Dart- mouth and the wider South Hams.
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Support partnerships with Royal British Legion branches and other service charities.
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Promote the Armed Forces Covenant through council communications and community engagement.
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Use Covenant branding where appropriate to signal our commitment.
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Raise awareness of the contribution made by Service personnel and Veterans.
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Support to the Armed Forces Community
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Signpost serving personnel, Veterans and their families to local and national support services.
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Facilitate or promote local support networks for Veterans and their families.
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Work with partners to ensure access to housing, healthcare and community integration support.
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Ceremonial and Civic Responsibilities.
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Support Armed Forces events including: Remembrance activities and the Poppy Appeal. Maintain and uphold Dartmouth’s War memorials and heritage Sites, Promote civic pride in the town’s long-standing naval association.
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.