Wyre Council has pledged its continued support for the armed forces community by re-signing the Armed Forces Covenant.
The signing was attended by the Mayor of Wyre, Cllr Julie Robinson along with the Leader of the Council, Cllr David Henderson, Councillor Peter Le Marinel Wyre’s Armed Forces Champion, Garry Payne Chief Executive of Wyre Council, Lt Col Edward Fraser, Commanding Officer, Fourth Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and Paul Deacon Wyre’s Armed Forces Officer
The council originally signed the Armed Forces Community Covenant in 2012 and has upheld the values ever since.
The purpose of the Covenant is to encourage support for the armed forces community working and residing in Wyre, address disadvantages the armed forces community may experience due to their service and recognise the sacrifices made.
For Wyre Council and partner organisations the Covenant presents an opportunity to bring together knowledge, experience and expertise to support the provision of help and advice. It sets out the signatories’ commitment to ensuring those who serve or who have served in the armed forces are treated fairly.
Councillor Peter Le Marinel, a veteran himself, attended the signing and comments, “We are proud to reaffirm our commitment to support the armed forces community and it has been an honour to represent the council here. Since we originally signed this back in 2012 Wyre Council has achieved Bronze and Silver Defence Employer Recognition Scheme awards. We have armed forces veterans working for the council and staff currently serving in the Reserves. We acknowledge not only the outstanding contribution they make to us as a council, but also to their country.
“The Covenant demonstrates our commitment to staff as an employer and also to the armed forces community who access our services. We thank serving personnel and veterans and pledge to work with our partners to do everything we can to ensure they are not disadvantaged due to their service in any way.
“The Covenant can be signed by businesses, charities, local authorities and public sector organisations. We would encourage other organisations across Wyre to show their support and sign the Covenant and make a commitment to support the armed forces community in Wyre.”
Find out more about the Armed Forces Covenant at www.wyre.gov.uk/ArmedForcesCovenant.