I hope you are looking forward to the forthcoming Brackmills Business event AGM on the 19th September. If you haven’t already, please register your attendance here: www.brackmills.eventbrite.co.uk
On our agenda we hace a guest speaker from the Military, who will talk about local Employer Engagement with the Army and the Armed Forces Covenant. At our event you, along with all the other Brackmills businesses, will be offered the opportunity to become a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant.
This Covenant is a promise from the nation that those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly. It is an informal but moral understanding that in putting the needs of the nation, the armed forces and others before their own, military personnel forgo some of the rights enjoyed by society at large.
The Covenant encourages businesses to develop a relationship with members of the Armed Forces community who work in their business or access their products or services. For a brief description of how the AF Covenant works and how it can be beneficial for your business click here: https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/about/
To date, over 1,600 businesses in the UK have signed the covenant, including Brackmills companies Travis Perkins Plc, Asda Stores Ltd, DHL, Doosan Industrial Vehicle Hire and Maritime Transport.
Once signed, your Covenant will be listed on the national defence website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/armed-force-corporate-covenant-signed-pledges
Having signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant you are eligible for the Employer Recognition Scheme and invitation only events such as Trooping the Colour and regional engagement events.
Here is the pledge documents:
The first is if you are unable to attend our business event, but would nevertheless like to sign.
The second is almost identical and will be used if you are willing to sign publicly at our September event with the senior Army officer present. Only the CEO or GM of your business can sign.
As you will see, the Covenant pledge document itself includes a ‘menu’ of options so that you can offer support in a way most appropriate for you; further details are available on the Covenant website and further guidance is available online. It is very straightforward and all that you need to do is edit Section 2 (page 3) of the Attached Covenant document.
Once you have edited either pledge please return it by email to Catherine Suckling, Regional Employer Engagement Officer at East Midlands Regional Forces & Cadets Association, email: [email protected] by no later than 16th September. Additionally if you have any queries ahead of then, please contact her directly on 0115 924 8622.
I have signed the AF Covenant myself and invite you please to make the time to consider this very worthy cause and hope many of you can sign at our Brackmills Business event later this month.
Kind Regards,
Sara Homer, Brackmills BID Chair