Marches Group Limited
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 Marches Group Limited 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 Marches Group Limited 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
- Discounts
- Armed Forces Charities
- Additional Leave for Reservists
We also pledge the following:
We pledge to actively and meaningfully demonstrate our support through comprehensive initiatives including:
-
Employment & Recruitment
• Explicit recognition and translation of military skills and qualifications into civilian equivalents where possible, within our recruitment and selection procedures.
• Implementing flexible employment policies designed specifically to support Service spouses and partners, especially during periods of deployment or relocation.
• Conducting insight days, online events, and targeted recruitment events tailored specifically to members of the Armed Forces Community. -
Support for Reservists • Facilitating leave arrangements for Reservist employees to participate in essential Reserve Forces training.
• Ensuring robust support systems are in place during mobilisation and post-deployment reintegration phases for Reservist employees.
• Promoting and raising awareness internally regarding the Reserve Forces, actively encouraging staff to join, and openly celebrating the valuable skills and experiences gained through Reservist activities. -
Cadet Organisations
• Facilitating leave arrangements for staff actively volunteering as Cadet Force Adult Volunteers, enabling participation in necessary training camps and courses.
• Proactively promoting the considerable benefits and skill sets acquired through cadet involvement during recruitment and internal development programmes.
• Providing sponsorship or support in-kind (such as equipment, first aid training or venue use) to local Cadet units. -
Armed Forces Awareness & Support
• Consistently publicising our Armed Forces Covenant commitments through various channels including our website, internal communications, newsletters, and dedicated social media campaigns.
• Actively participating in, sponsoring, or organising events for national commemorations such as Armed Forces Day, Reserves Day, Remembrance Day, and actively supporting the Poppy Appeal.
• Establishing long-term partnerships with local Armed Forces charities, regularly organising fundraising activities, and providing structured volunteer opportunities for our staff. -
Commercial Support
• Offering discounts, where possible, on accredited medical training courses and medical services provided by Marches Group to members of the Armed Forces Community through active participation in the Defence Discount Service.
• Ensuring our commercial services are accessible and responsive to the unique circumstances faced by the Armed Forces Community, including flexibility in contracts and agreements. -
Health and Healthcare Support
• Actively promoting veteran-friendly healthcare awareness within our own healthcare teams, ensuring staff are trained to understand and address the specific health needs of veterans. Clearly signposting and providing direct pathways for members of the Armed Forces Community to access dedicated healthcare services, including Op COURAGE and other veteran-specific healthcare programmes.
• Providing concessionary rates or priority access to our healthcare services for those identified within the Armed Forces Community, particularly for mental health support and rehabilitation services. -
Monitoring, Review, and Promotion
• Committing to a structured annual review of our Covenant pledges, actively seeking feedback from employees, stakeholders, and members of the Armed Forces Community to refine and improve our commitments.
• Regularly reporting internally and externally on our Covenant achievements and areas for improvement, maintaining transparency and accountability.
• Ensuring active promotion and celebration of our commitments through dedicated communications campaigns, continually reinforcing our support to the Armed Forces Community and encouraging wider community engagement.
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.