That this Council very much welcomes the agreement between the public sector in Gloucestershire and the Armed Forces that will pave the way for more integration of Armed Forces Personnel in their community and enable funding for community initiatives.

Cllr Smart read the following statement in support of her motion

'This motion is about an Armed Forces Community Covenant, which is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local Armed Forces community – in this case serving and former members of all 3 services and their families either working or resident in Gloucestershire. It is intended to complement, at a local level, the Armed Forces Covenant, which outlines the moral obligation between the Nation, the Government and the Armed Forces.

The aim of a Community Covenant is to encourage local communities to support the Service Community in their area and promote understanding and awareness amongst the public of issues affecting the Armed Forces Community.  Many people have become involved in supporting the Service Community through Service Charities, or more recently participating in Armed Forces Day.  They have shown their support through fund-raising, military celebrations and open days, attending homecoming parades and repatriation ceremonies and offering commercial discounts.  The community Covenant scheme aims to build on this local level of support.  The overall aim is to end up with a countywide covenant signed by all 3 services, leaders of public sector bodies, representatives from the voluntary sector and the Veterans Advisory and Pension Committee.  A formal signing Ceremony took place on Monday 27 February 2012.

As Members will recall there has always been a strong tradition of links between the Forest of Dean District Council and the Gloucestershire Regiment, in which many local people served in both world wars and in peacetime.  Whilst lamenting the loss of its County Regiment, which received the Freedom of the District in 1984, this Council warmly welcomed 1 Rifles to their permanent base at Beachley Barracks in 2007, which despite a Chepstow postal address, is very much part of the Forest of Dean.

On the 27 June 2009 this Council provided a public expression of its support for the Battalion by laying on a community event for soldiers, their families and local people after a Freedom Parade in Coleford. Since then members and staff at the District Council have raised money for the Rifles welfare fund charities through a variety of sponsored events and “dress down” days.  In addition members and staff have also contributed to welfare parcels for the troops when they were deployed in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2011.

Through its annual support for Armed Forces Day the council recognises and applauds the contribution that the entire Armed Forces Community has made to the nation. The Council demonstrates similar support to the Royal British Legion through annual Poppy Day collections and, this year providing the use of some of our premises at no cost for use in support of the Poppy Appeal.

The Council has also actively supported one member of Staff in recently becoming a member of the Royal Navel Reserve and is now working on the production of a policy that supports volunteering, including service in the reserves.

This motion also refers to Report SD  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16

That this Council very much welcomes the agreement between the public sector in Gloucestershire and the Armed Forces that will pave the way for more integration of Armed Forces Personnel in their community and enable funding for community initiatives.

To be considered at the meeting to be held on 1 March 2012.