Stratford-on-Avon District Council formally signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge on Wednesday 6 November 2024.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a commitment to those who serve or have served in the British military, and to their families. By signing, the District Council commits to treating those who serve, or have served in the armed forces, and their families with fairness and respect.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a pledge that organisations can make to demonstrate their support for the Armed Forces community. By signing the Covenant, the District Council has committed to:

  • Promoting the fact that we are an Armed Forces-friendly organisation to demonstrate our support for the regular armed forces, veterans and reservists but also their families and bereaved families.
  • Recognising, supporting and attending remembrance events including Armed Forces Day.

The District Council's Pledge

Section 1: Principles of The Armed Forces Covenant

1.1 We, Stratford-on-Avon District Council, will endeavour to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and the Covenant Duty:

  • Recognising the sacrifices and obligations made by the whole of the Armed Forces community.
  • Members of the Armed Forces Community should not face disadvantages arising from their service in the provision of public and commercial services.
  • In some circumstances special provision may be justified, especially for those who have given the most, such as the injured or bereaved.

Section 2: Demonstrating our Commitment

2.1 We recognise the contribution that Service personnel, reservists, veterans and military families make to our organisation, our community and our country. We also recognise the work of the Cadet Force Adult Volunteers as well as the importance of supporting our Armed Forces Cadet organisations and cadets themselves.

2.2 We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and Armed Forces Covenant Duty by:

Recruitment

We are open to employing reservists, armed forces veterans (including the wounded, injured and sick), cadet instructors and military spouses/partners, and recognise the range of transferrable skills that this group can offer to our organisation.

We have a Guaranteed Interview Scheme which provides an interview where the applicant meets the essential criteria for the role and where they are in the process of leaving the Armed Forces, or where the Armed Forces was their last role.

In addition, we actively support employees in the Territorial Army and other Reserve Forces by granting two weeks paid leave to attend Annual Camp, and ensuring a paid leave of absence to those staff 'called up' for national Defence duties.

Employees are also able to use the Employee Volunteering Scheme to volunteer for armed forces charities.

Contact: The HR team

Last updated on 04/02/2025