Hope’s Therapy Dogs 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 Hope’s Therapy Dogs 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 Hope’s Therapy Dogs 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:
- Armed Forces Friendly
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
- UK Service Spouses And Partners
- Armed Forces Day
- Reserve Forces Day
- Armed Forces Charities
We also pledge the following:
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Create a dedicated Armed Forces Covenant page on our website outlining our support, relevant services, and routes to access.
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Use the Armed Forces Covenant and Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) logos appropriately in communications (once eligible/approved).
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Appoint an Armed Forces Champion within the organisation as a focal point for awareness, internal coordination, and signposting.
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Ensure our services are delivered and communicated in a way that is accessible, respectful, and trauma-informed, recognising that some individuals may be affected by service-related stress, injury, bereavement, or transition.
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Where feasible, offer reasonable flexibility around scheduling and communication methods for those affected by service demands (e.g., deployments, training periods, or unpredictable work patterns).
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Offer wellbeing support to Serving personnel, Veterans, and Armed Forces families through our Animal-Assisted Intervention services at competitive rates, where appropriate and sustainable.
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Support the emotional wellbeing of Service children and young people, recognising the specific pressures they may face (including mobility, separation, transition, and parental deployment), through age-appropriate interventions delivered in line with safeguarding standards.
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Build relationships and work collaboratively with local Covenant partners and Armed Forces community organisations in our locality/region.
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Signpost members of the Armed Forces Community to specialist support where needs fall beyond our scope, including Cobseo, Veterans’ Gateway, and relevant statutory services.
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Promote and/or participate in Remembrance and other ceremonial activities where appropriate and feasible.
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All support will be delivered in line with our safeguarding responsibilities and our welfare-first standards for therapy dogs, ensuring safe, ethical, and effective practice for people and animals.
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.