The Worshipful Company of Butchers
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 The Worshipful Company of Butchers 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 The Worshipful Company of Butchers 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 Reservists
- UK Cadets
- Armed Forces Charities
We also pledge the following:
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We will maintain strong links with our affiliated service units, promoting regular correspondence and issuing invitations for service personnel to attend Company events. We will encourage our affiliated service units to nominate a point Of contact and keep us advised of changes to staffing within their units; the Company in return will encourage correspondence with the Clerk’s office and/or Military Liaison Officer to provide continuity of contact.
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We will endeavour to involve a cross section of Liverymen, family and friends in visits to our affiliated units when opportunities arise.
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We will seek to raise awareness across our wide network of Liverymen of the scope of duties carried out by our Armed Forces and the importance of the Armed Forces Covenant.
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We will encourage members of our affiliated service units to apply for membership of the Company, to provide friendship and fellowship and increase the understanding among Liverymen who may be able to Offer employment or professional advice to personnel who have served or are serving or to their family members.
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We will seek to ensure that members who are deployed on active service are supported and receive communications from the Company during their period Of duty.
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We will endeavour to support members of our affiliated units to find employment in civilian life on leaving the services. Through our connections with companies who operate within the Food Service or catering industries. Similarly, some of our Liverymen’s companies may be able to employ ex-servicemen and woman with specific trades or guide them into apprenticeships Or training programmes through our association with The Institute Of Meat and Other trade organisations.
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We will advertise our own office vacancies with service charities and employment agencies set up to help those who are changing career or retiring from active service.
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We will publicise our links with our affiliated service units and talk about their work on a specific part Of the Company’s website, Linkedln, WhatsApp, Facebook, email and our regularly published Newsletter.
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We will engage with social media posts issued by our affiliated units, reposting,b commenting and reacting as most appropriate.
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We will not publish names and photos of serving personnel without the consent Of the individual and their Commanding Officer.
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We will feature the work of our Armed Forces in our printed Newsletter and e-newsletters by inviting by inviting the nominated contact with in the unit to provide appropriate content and photos.
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We will give due consideration to any requests for funding or special projects from our affiliated units, up to a maximum limit set by the Master and Court in each year’s budget.
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We will continue to support our affiliated units E.G. the Catering Training Wing on everything related to livestock production, slaughtering, processing and butchery Of meat.
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We will ensure that our Charitable Fund actively seeks to support requests from military and associated charities E.G. The Poppy Factory.
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We will encourage Our Liverymen and those in our core and social media network to support the poppy Appeal and Remembrance activities.
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The Master will represent the Company in showing respect to the fallen and giving thanks for the service Of all the Armed Forces.
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We will support our affiliated units when invited to do so by attending any civic function at which their role and contribution to the community are being recognised E.G. local annual presentations, Freedoms of a town or city, achievements Of national or Royal recognitions and awards.
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.