Council set to reaffirm its commitment to the Armed Forces

Article date: 25 September 2024

At a cabinet meeting at St Helens Town Hall this afternoon (Wednesday 25 September) senior councillors approved a report for the council to sign the Armed Forces Covenant, an organisational pledge to support members of the Armed Forces Community by ensuring they are not disadvantaged by their service experience when accessing council services such as public health, housing, and education, or when they work for the council as an employee.

It comes as council figures show that 6,036 household across the borough have at least one occupier who has served in the British Armed Forces, working out at 7.5 per cent of all households, which is above the England and Wales average.

Since 2012, St Helens Borough Council has led the St Helens Armed Forces Community Covenant partnership, demonstrating its commitment to the Armed Forces on a regular basis through several initiatives and events including, free and discounted membership offers in council-run leisure centres for past and present members of the Armed Forces, as well as a popular annual Armed Forces Day event in partnership with veterans and Remembrance Sunday service which both attract large crowds.

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 in the summer as part of an outreach programme to connect veterans.

Welcoming the report, Councillor Keith Laird, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for People, Performance and IT, said:

"As a council, it is important to sign the Armed Forces Covenant in recognition of the commitment and sacrifices that British military, both regular and reservist, make to protect our freedoms. We also acknowledge the contributions that veterans, the cadet movement, and military families make as valued members of our borough community."

St Helens Borough Council's Armed Forces Champion, Councillor Lynn 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, added:

"It will be a great honour to sign the Armed Forces Covenant again as a promise to ensure that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are recognised, honoured, and treated fairly with the respect they deserve."

As Armed Forces Champion, Councillor Clarke, will sign the Armed Forces Covenant next month (October) at St Helens Town Hall.

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