Support for the armed forces

Find out what support is available to the armed forces community in Buckinghamshire.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation to ensure that those who serve or have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.

Its 2 principles are that:

1. Those who serve in the armed forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services.
2. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most such as the injured and the bereaved.

We have signed a covenant to the armed forces which contains a number of pledges.

In this covenant we promise to:

• uphold the key principles of the national Armed Forces Covenant and strive to ensure that members of the armed forces community do not face disadvantage when accessing council services, particularly in the areas of health, housing and education
• offer support to staff members who are part of the armed forces community, including:
  • offering additional paid leave to members of the Reserve forces
  • running an armed forces staff network
  • offering online training to increase awareness of the covenant
• offer a guaranteed interview scheme for veterans who meet the essential criteria for a role they are applying for
• host and publicise annual Remembrance Day and Armed Forces Flag Raising Day events to ensure the sacrifices made by our armed forces community are appropriately recognised

View the covenant online.

Businesses and organisations are encouraged to sign the Armed Forces Covenant and make their own pledges to support the armed forces community.

Find out more about signing the Armed Forces Covenant.

Below are organisations and services that provide support for those who serve or have served in the armed forces.

The Buckinghamshire Civilian Military Partnership Board is responsible for discussing how the pledges made in the covenant will be put into practice in our county.

The board meets several times per year and is made up of representatives from:

• the armed forces
• the council
• charities
• other public sector organisations

The board has a number of smaller action groups that meet more regularly to discuss more focused areas of work.

To find out more you can contact the board at [email protected].