What is an Armed Forces Community Covenant?
The Armed Forces Community Covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local Armed Forces Community. The Community Covenant encourages support for the Armed Forces Community working and residing in Worcestershire and recognises and remembers the sacrifices made by members of this community, particularly those who have given the most .
For the Worcestershire Partnership (representing the public sector, charitable and voluntary sector, housing associations and local businesses in Worcestershire), the Community Covenant presents an opportunity to bring their knowledge, experience and expertise to bear on the provision of help and advice to members of the Armed Forces Community.
Worcestershire Partnership formally signed the Armed Forces Community Covenant for Worcestershire on Friday 29thJune 2012.
Who has signed up to the Community Covenant?
The Community Covenant was signed by representatives on behalf of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces and Cadets Association alongside representatives from the following organisations:
- Worcestershire Partnership.
- Worcestershire County Council.
- Bromsgrove District Council.
- Malvern Hills District Council.
- Redditch Borough Council.
- Worcester City Council.
- Wychavon District Council.
- Wyre Forest District Council.
- Royal British Legion.
- Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help.
- Housing Associations in Worcestershire.
- Worcestershire Voluntary and Community Sector Strategic Board.
- University of Worcester.
- Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce.
- Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership.
- Department for Work & Pensions.
- West Mercia Police.
- Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.
- West Mercia Probation Trust.
- South Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Group.
- Redditch & Bromsgrove Clinical Commissioning Group.
- Wyre Forest Clinical Commissioning Group.
- Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
- Worcestershire Health & Care NHS Trust.
What are the aims of the Community Covenant?
The Community Covenant aims to encourage all parties within a community to offer support to the local Armed Forces Community and make it easier for service personnel, families and veterans to access help and support available from the Ministry of Defence (MOD), from statutory providers and from the charitable and voluntary sector.
For the Armed Forces Community, the Community Covenant aims to encourage the integration of service life into civilian life and for members of the Armed Forces Community to help their local community.
More detailed information about the principles and aims are set out in the pdf Worcestershire Community Covenant (254 KB) .
How will the Community Covenant be delivered?
A working group has been established to oversee the implementation of the Community Covenant in Worcestershire. This group will establish a framework to gain a better understanding of local issues in relation to members of the Armed Forces Community and be responsible for publishing an action plan.
For further information regarding Worcestershire's Armed Forces Community Covenant please email
The MOD have set up the Covenant Grant Scheme to fund local projects which strengthen the ties or the mutual understanding between members of the Armed Forces Community and the wider community in which they live.
An example of a Community Covenant funded project
Worcestershire Partnership in conjunction with Splash TV are proud to present 'WE DID OUR BIT' ahead of the forthcoming seventy-fifth anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War. This short film was made possible with funding from the Community Covenant Fund.
The eleven minute film features the heroic real-life stories of eleven World War Two Veterans that live in Worcestershire and will be distributed to schools and community groups throughout the county prior to Remembrance Day, Monday 11 November 2013. A 48 minute background film entitled 'HOW WE DID OUR BIT' will also be made available for discussion groups and schools.