London Borough of Croydon
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 London Borough of Croydon 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 London Borough of Croydon 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
- UK Cadets
We also pledge the following:
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Promoting the Armed Forces: Continue to mark Armed Forces Week and Remembrance through civic events, flag-raising ceremonies and inclusive communications as well as Sharing positive stories of serving personnel, reservists, veterans and families.
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Recognise military qualifications and equivalent experience in recruitment and progression.
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Provide targeted employability support via Croydon Works: CV and application coaching, mock interviews, and local job-matching.
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Encourage partners and suppliers to adopt Covenant-friendly recruitment practices, including the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.
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Procurement and Social Value: Embed Covenant commitments into Social Value guidance, encouraging suppliers to sign the Covenant, support reservists, and apply the Guaranteed Interview Scheme.
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Housing: Apply a no-disadvantage approach in housing and homelessness services, recognising service-related mobility and deployments.
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Education: Share best practice with schools and academy trusts on supporting Service children and Forces families, including those with caring responsibilities.
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Ensure council events and protocols respect Armed Forces traditions while remaining inclusive and non-partisan.
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Employer Commitments Offer support during mobilisation and deployment.
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Recognise military skills and qualifications in recruitment, retention and career development.
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We will publicise these commitments on our website and in council literature, clearly setting out how we will honour them, and inviting feedback from the Armed Forces community on our progress.
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.