New Armed Forces Community Covenant Scheme Launched

The launch of a Community Covenant scheme is one of the key measures of the Armed Forces Covenant

The first Armed Forces Community Covenant scheme was launched yesterday in Oxfordshire. The covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local Armed Forces Community.  £30million of Government funding has been allocated over the next four years to support the scheme.

The aims of the Community Covenant include:

• to encourage local communities to support the Armed Forces Community in their areas, and vice versa;
• to promote understanding and awareness amongst the public of issues affecting the Armed Forces Community;
• to recognise and remember the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces Community; and
• to encourage activities which help to integrate the Armed Forces Community into local life.

The launch in Oxfordshire will be followed by launches in the Vale of Glamorgan, Hampshire and North Yorkshire in the next couple of weeks. A scheme will also be launched in Portsmouth at a later date. 

Picture: Harland Quarrington, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010