Reading Force
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 Reading Force 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 Reading Force 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 Reservists
- UK Wounded, Injured And Sick
We also pledge the following:
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Our information, services and support are available to all members of the Armed Forces Community, including serving, veterans, reservists, injured, and Forces families including those separated by relation-ship breakdown or divorce.
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We will seek to make the competencies, experience, reputation and values of the Armed Forces Community known to potential and actual employers, and seek to promote confidence within the Armed Forces Community in seeking employment after service, or during postings for family members.
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We will communicate directly with the Armed Forces Community seeking to raise their confidence and sense of value. We will represent these values and competencies to the wider world.
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We will be mindful of the commercial value of the competencies, skills and values of the Armed Forces Community and seek to encourage its wider appreciation within wider society.
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Involved primarily with the benefits of books and reading, we will seek to encourage the Armed Forces Community to benefit from involvement and the associated benefits of wellbeing, positive mental health and connection.
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We will be aware of the location and opportunities of Armed Forces housing, and both the value and challenges this represents to the Armed Forces Community.
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Mindful of the role reading and sharing books play in the educational development of all involved, we will encourage the Armed Forces Community to participate in the services and outreach we offer and to receive associated benefits. We will work with the schools, educational and healthcare professionals, charities and other groups that support military community and seek to ensure maximum benefits are achieved.
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We will seek to encourage the Armed Forces Community to play their full part in civic society, and for civic society to recognise both the contribution they make and their wider value to society.
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We will continue to connect the Armed Forces Community through shared-reading and related activities, and to use the information we gain in the process to advocate for the value of the military community within wider society. Looking to the future, we will continue to:
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To advance education by encouraging military families to read together for pleasure and talk about a book by providing advice and assistance and materials to support shared reading activities.
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To promote and protect good health by using reading as a means of mitigating stress and increasing communication and good family relationships following separation due to training, deployment, postings and mobility.
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To support the role, development and flourishing of military spouses and partners (including veterans, and the divorced, separated and bereaved) as they seek to keep their families connected.
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To research and advocate for the recognition and development of military spouses and partners, as they seek to both develop themselves, and keep their families connected.
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.