Organisations can benefit significantly from membership to the corporate covenant scheme, which offers an opportunity to build a reputation as a Forces-friendly business at a time when public support for the Armed Forces is at an all time high. The Armed Forces community can contribute real value to an organisation, both as employees (who bring a wealth of skills and experience) and as customers.
The covenant sets out the relationship between the nation, the government and our Armed Forces. It recognises that the whole nation has a moral obligation to members of the Armed Forces and their families, and it establishes how they should expect to be treated. This is obviously something we at Help for Heroes believe in passionately.
The principles are that:
-
The Armed Forces community should not face 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 most, such as the injured and the bereaved
The corporate covenant is a public pledge from businesses and other organisations who wish to demonstrate their support for the Armed Forces community. Businesses are asked to pledge their support for the two key principles of the covenant and to select from a range of other commitments they may feel able to make.
For example, a business may wish to promote their organisation as Armed Forces friendly, through participation in Armed Forces Day, or through exclusive discounts to members of the Armed Forces community. Larger organisations may wish to actively seek to employ those who have served in the military for the skills they possess or strive to support the employment of ex-regular personnel and service spouses.