Support for the armed forces
Find out what support is available to the armed forces community in Buckinghamshire.
The National Armed Forces Covenant
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:
- 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.
- Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most such as the injured and the bereaved.
Buckinghamshire Armed Forces Covenant
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 [PDF, 680KB]
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.
Sources of support
Below are organisations and services that provide support for those who serve or have served in the armed forces.
Central Government provides a number of support services for members of the armed forces and their families. These include a service pupil premium, help with changing careers and a Forces Help to Buy scheme.
Veterans Gateway is funded by the Armed Forces Covenant and offers support to veterans on a wide range of matters from personal relationships to housing and employment.
Get in touch by calling 0808 802 1212 or contact them using their live chat or email service.
The Forces Connect App contains details of local support organisations in your area and is available to download for free. Search “Forces Connect” in the Google Play store or the Apple App Store.
The NHS has support services available specifically for members of the armed forces community, including family members of those who are serving or have served.
- Op COURAGE: the Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service is an NHS specialist service designed to help service leavers, reservists, veterans and their families. Find out more on the Op COURAGE South East website.
- Op RESTORE: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service is an NHS service that provides specialist care and treatment to veterans who have physical health problems as a result of their time in the armed forces.
- Veterans Welfare Service (VWS) provides 1-to-1 support to all veterans, their families and carers. It is run by Veterans UK, which is part of the Ministry of Defence.
Defence Medical Welfare Service provides practical and emotional support to the following people whilst in hospital, rehabilitation or recovery centres:
- serving military personnel
- veterans
- their families
- other entitled civilians
The Confederation of Service Charities (Cobseo) maintains an up-to-date directory of service charities.
Local charities and support services can also be found on the Buckinghamshire Online Directory.
The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust funds projects that support the delivery of the Covenant promise to our armed forces, veterans and their families.
The Covenant Fund has various grant funds available that open at different times throughout the year.
Buckinghamshire Civilian Military Partnership Board
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].