Armed Forces Covenant
The Armed Forces Covenant is the nation’s commitment to those who proudly protect our nation, doing so with honour, courage, and commitment. It's 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.
Under our own commitment to our armed forces, we recognise the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant by:
- Promoting the armed forces to our staff, customers, suppliers, contractors and wider public
- Supporting and advocating for veterans
- Transition partnership for service leavers
- Support for service spouses and partners, members of the reservists and cadet organisations
- Joining national events such as Armed Forces Day, Reserves Day, the Poppy Appeal Day and remembrance activities
- Promoting and supporting armed forces charities
Please take a look at our current Shropshire Armed Forces Action Plan 2025-2029.
The purpose of the Armed Forces Covenant is to put the individual (or family) in a position comparable to that of an equivalent citizen (or family) that is not in the armed forces. The aim is to bring the armed forces individual/family up to the level of an ordinary citizen rather than gaining an advantage beyond what an ordinary citizen may be entitled to. There is no special treatment apart from the support to reduce any disadvantage members of the armed forces and their families may experience.
The Armed Forces Covenant does not confer a legal right to the provision of services and support over and above what is the legal right and entitlement of an ordinary citizen.
Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most such as the injured and the bereaved.
If you feel you've been treated unfairly when accessing public services, please contact SAFCC@shropshire.gov.uk and an advisor will discuss your options with you.
We have a list of organisations who can provide you with advice and guidance.
You can also follow us on X and Facebook.
Funding for community activities
The Covenant Fund is a £10m grant given by the government to projects that will benefit the armed forces and the community generally. Projects range from building new nurseries in civilian areas where many armed forces families live, to funding military themed activities that increase understanding between military and civilian communities in the same area. To see whether you could get covenant funding for a project, take a look at the Armed Forces Covenant website.
Joint Armed Forces Needs Assessment Task & Finish Group - Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council
Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council are both signatories to the Armed Forces Covenant, and both local authorities have established strategic partnership boards which provide strategic governance on the delivery of the covenant within their respective areas. These boards previously identified the requirement to undertake a joint armed forces needs assessment, within their action plans, to understand the armed forces community across the county of Shropshire. The assessment considered local implications of national research and evidence in relation to key covenant commitments and areas of need identified. The experience of the armed forces community was considered in relation to: education and children’s care, health and wellbeing, housing, employment, the criminal justice system and transition and specialist support.
The final report identified a total of thirty key recommendations, at the heart of which is a need to ask people if they have a military connection and to think what this may mean in terms of service delivery and provision.
For further information about any aspect of the Armed Forces Covenant or general support, please email SAFCC@Shropshire.gov.uk