Herefordshire County BID has signed the Armed Forces Covenant

Herefordshire County Business Improvement District are proud to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, pledging our commitment and support to the Armed Forces Community, and have received the Employer Recognition Scheme Bronze Award

What is the Armed Forces Covenant?

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation that those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
It is a pledge that together we acknowledge and understand that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they serve with their lives. The Covenant supports serving personnel, service leavers, veterans, and their families, and is fulfilled by the different groups that have committed to making a difference.

Our Pledges

Section 1: Principles of the Armed Forces Covenant
1.1 We Herefordshire County BID 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
• In some circumstances special treatment may be appropriate, especially for the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our Commitment
2.1 We recognise the value that serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business and to our country. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by:
• Promoting the Armed Forces: promoting the fact that we are an Armed Forces-friendly organisation, to our staff, customers, suppliers, contractors and wider public. Promotion of the Armed Forces Covenant to all our members providing information on the benefits and how Levy Payers can sign up their businesses.
• Veterans: supporting the employment of veterans, recognising military skills and qualifications in our recruitment and selection process; working with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) to support the employment of Service leavers;
• Service Spouses & Partners: supporting the employment of Service spouses and partners; partnering with the Forces Families Jobs Forum (https://www.forcesfamiliesjobs.co.uk/); and providing flexibility in granting leave for Service spouses and partners before, during and after a partner’s deployment.
• Reserves: supporting our employees who are members of the Reserve Forces; granting additional paid/unpaid leave for annual Reserve Forces training; supporting any mobilisations and deployment; actively encouraging members of staff to become Reservists;
• Cadet Organisations: supporting our employees who are volunteer leaders in military cadet organisations, granting additional leave to attend annual training camps and courses; actively encouraging members of staff to become volunteer leaders in cadet organisations; supporting local military cadet units; recognising the benefits of employing cadets/ex-cadets within the workforce.
• National Events: supporting Armed Forces Day, Reserves Day, the Poppy Appeal Day and Remembrance activities;
• Armed Forces Charities: supporting Armed Forces charities with fundraising and supporting staff who volunteer to assist;
2.2 We will publicise these commitments through our literature, on staff notices, and on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community, our staff and our customers on how we are doing.

How can your business get involved and sign the Armed Forces Covenant?

The Covenant is a voluntary pledge which organisations may choose to sign up to in order to demonstrate their support for the Armed Forces Community and the principles of the Covenant. All organisations – public, private or voluntary and small, medium or large – are welcome to sign the Covenant.

All signatories pledge to uphold and act in accordance with the basic principles of the Covenant (see terms and conditions). In addition, organisations are also encouraged to commit specific pledges detailing exactly how the Covenant will be supported and upheld.

Click the button below to find out more about how you can make your own pledge and sign the Armed Forces Covenant. The bank of example pledges provided on the linked page can be used or organisations may wish to create their own unique pledges.