Veteran Support Network C.I.C. (Arts and Minds)
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 Veteran Support Network C.I.C. (Arts and Minds) 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 Veteran Support Network C.I.C. (Arts and Minds) 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
We also pledge the following:
Well-being: We pledge to offer advice, referral, education and support to improve and consolidate, matters that promote well-being to those who need it. Welfare: Co-ordinating with City Infrastructure we pledge to ensure that a service user/client, Veteran brother or sister, is not mistreated, forgotten or left without a contact point in times of need. This covers the NHS, Police, Social Services, Family and Stoke on Trent Coty Council. We also pledge to work with these agencies and local charities to reduce suicide and self-harm crisis amongst our community group. Social Support & Logistics: Our pledge is to reduce isolation and loneliness amongst our Armed Forces community inclusive of Veterans. We will do this by co-ordinated working with agencies and charities locally and nationally. Our specific contribution to this challenge involves befriending, coffee mornings, community chats, visits or phone calls, shopping or referrals. Logistically we will collect, deliver, provide transport where possible for and follow up on all needs and crisis. Inclusion: Isolation is completely unacceptable and unnecessary in modern Britain. We pledge to work tirelessly with organisations whether Service or Veteran Specific or community focused to ensure that facilities, opportunities, logistics and support, are made available to our Military family to reduce and rid them of the isolation plaguing our older and mentally affected forces family. Opportunities: Veteran Support Network C.I.C. pledges to create, expand and develop our network to provide opportunities for inclusion, socialisation and well-being. Our Network by nature offers opportunities for members to become part of the team providing the service our Pledges cover, thus broadening our Network and the numbers that we can assist and support. We pledge to offer art, gardening, crafts and other activities of interest which will expand and grow with the request and demand of the dynamic client/customer/service user. Where applicable, those who we pledge to support under the Armed Forces Covenant will be offered the opportunity to sell their works of art or craft within our gallery, promoting employment and positive wellbeing.
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.