St Helens Borough Council signs Armed Forces Covenant

Article date: 1 November 2024

At a special ceremony held in St Helens Town Hall attended by council delegates; representatives from the British Army; Royal Air Force; Royal Navy; Ministry of Defence; Sea Cadet Corps; cadet groups; Armed Forces community groups and council staff who have held or hold Armed Forces status - Councillor Lynn Clarke, St Helens Borough Council's Armed Forces Champion, signed the Covenant - an organisational pledge to ensure members of the Armed Forces community aren't disadvantaged by their service experience when accessing work and public services.

Speaking of her pride to sign the Armed Forces Covenant, Councillor Clarke, who last year as Mayor introduced the 'Mayor's Cadet' role which saw her accompanied to civic events by a local young person attending a cadet programme, said:

"It is a great honour to sign the Armed Forces Covenant on behalf of the council to renew our promise to ensure that those who serve or have served in the British Armed Forces, and their families, are recognised, honoured, and treated fairly with the respect they deserve.

"St Helens Borough has such a rich military history which deserves to be celebrated at any opportunity and as Armed Forces Champion, I'm proud that the council enjoys such a great working relationship with Defence and our local Armed Forces community."

Councillor Keith Laird, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for People, Performance and IT, added: "As we prepare to pay our respects to the Fallen next week on Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, it is a fitting time to acknowledge our commitment to the Armed Forces and to residents and families who have sacrificed so much for King and country. We are a council working with you, for you."

Recognising the borough as hotbed for Armed Forces activity, with more than 6,000 households having at least one occupier who has served in the British Armed Forces, which is above the England and Wales Average - and with a number of council staff having served for their country or actively involved with the cadet movement - St Helens Borough Council has led the St Helens Armed Forces Community Covenant partnership since 2012, demonstrating its commitment to the Armed Forces on a regular basis through a number of initiatives, including:

• Free and discounted membership offers in council-run leisure centres for past and present members of the Armed Forces
• A popular annual Armed Forces Day event in partnership with veterans and Remembrance Sunday service which both attract large crowds

Meanwhile, last year, the council awarded Freedom of the Borough - the highest honour a council can bestow - to the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, the borough's local regular army regiment in the North West - and hosted a Chelsea Pensioners roadshow event at St Helens Town Hall over the summer as part of an outreach programme to connect veterans.

With the Armed Forces Covenant now signed, St Helens Borough Council is working towards retaining its 'Gold' status as an outstanding employer of reservists, cadet force, adult volunteers and service people under the Ministry of Defence's prestigious Employer Recognition Scheme.

For more information on the support available to past and present members of the Armed Forces community in St Helens Borough, visit: www.sthelens.gov.uk/armedforces