Future Projects
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 Future Projects 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 Future Projects 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 Reservists
- UK Cadets
- Armed Forces Day
- Reserve Forces Day
- Additional Leave For Reservists
We also pledge the following:
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Ensure that members of the Armed Forces Community are not unfairly disadvantaged during recruitment and selection, and recognise the transferable skills and experience gained through military service.
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Consider reasonable requests for additional unpaid leave or flexible working from Cadet Force Adult Volunteers to help them undertake their training and volunteering responsibilities.
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Offer appropriate work experience, insight, volunteering, mentoring and skills-development opportunities across the charity to members of the Armed Forces Community, subject to role requirements and safeguarding arrangements.
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Promote the Armed Forces Covenant, our commitments and any Defence Employer Recognition Scheme award to staff, volunteers, trustees, learners and families, people who use our services, partners, audiences and the wider public.
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Provide accessible opportunities for members of the Armed Forces Community to volunteer, train and contribute to our communications, radio, podcasting and other media activities, subject to role requirements and safeguarding arrangements.
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Enable members of the Armed Forces Community to tell their own stories and, wherever possible, help shape content about their lives and experiences.
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Provide appropriate editorial coverage of Remembrance and locally relevant Armed Forces events.
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Ensure that coverage is balanced, respectful and sensitive to trauma, confidentiality and the diverse experiences of Veterans and military families.
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Develop relationships with the Norfolk Armed Forces Covenant Board and other organisations supporting the Armed Forces Community.
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Ensure that members of the Armed Forces Community have fair access to our services and opportunities and are not disadvantaged because of deployment, relocation, mobility or other consequences of Service life.
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Provide eligible members of the Armed Forces Community with person-centred advice, advocacy and practical support relating to finances, benefits, debt, housing, energy, employment, isolation, mental health and wellbeing.
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Welcome Veterans, military families and other members of the Armed Forces Community to suitable community groups, social activities, employability support and volunteering opportunities.
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Train relevant frontline staff to understand the Armed Forces Covenant and maintain aware-ness of appropriate specialist support and referral options.
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Identify Service children sensitively and ensure that their individual educational, pastoral, therapeutic and communication needs are understood.
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Support and promote the wellbeing of Service children, recognising that deployment, separation, relocation, parental injury and bereavement may affect a young person’s wellbeing, behaviour, attendance and learning.
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Work closely with pupils, parents, carers, placing local authorities and other professionals to minimise disruption when a Service family is relocated.
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Provide prompt and supportive transitions, including the timely transfer of relevant educational and pastoral information, when a Service child joins or leaves our education provision.
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Appoint a named Armed Forces Champion, supported by colleagues from across the charity, to coordinate and promote our commitments.
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Review our delivery of the Covenant commitments annually, identify improvements and report progress through our governance arrangements.
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If appropriate, seek recognition through the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, beginning with a Bronze Award, and consider how our policies and practice could support future progression.
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Ensure that information about an individual’s Armed Forces connection is provided voluntarily, handled sensitively and recorded only where relevant and appropriate.
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Where appropriate and resources allow, take part in and support local civic and community initiatives that recognise, connect and assist members of the Armed Forces Community.
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.