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Dec 05

Lancashire pledges to support armed forces community

Organisations from across Lancashire have signed an Armed Forces Community Covenant, which strengthens the links between servicemen and women and their home towns. 

These include Lancashire County Council, local armed forces representatives and other organisations.

The Community Covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between the community and its local armed forces community – past and present – which includes serving personnel, veterans and their families.

Signing the Covenant will also enable local projects to apply for funding from the government’s £30m Community Covenant Grant Scheme. 

County Councillor Jennifer Mein, leader of the county council, said: “I am particularly pleased that we have signed our Community Covenant, which will further encourage communities in Lancashire to support the services in their area and promote understanding and awareness of issues affecting the armed forces community.

“The county council has long recognised the needs of serving personnel, veterans, and their families and has provided services to support them.”

The Covenant is signed to show support for the principles of the Community Covenant, which aims to:

  • Encourage local communities to support the armed forces community in their area and vice versa.
  • Promote understanding and awareness among the public of issues affecting the armed forces community.
  • Recognise and remember the sacrifices made by the armed forces community.
  • Encourage activities which help to integrate the armed forces community into local life.
  • Encourage the armed forces community to help and support the wider community, whether through participation in events, joint projects or other forms of engagement.

The Community Covenant builds at a local level on the Government’s Armed Forces Covenant, published in May 2011, which sets out the relationship between the nation, the state and the armed forces.