Vow to support military people in need
Pledges to support people who served in the military and are in need of help will not be simple box ticking exercises, a Walsall councillor has vowed.
Walsall Council will sign a new Armed Forces Covenant next month to ensure military personnel are treated fairly and can access services without being disadvantaged.
The authority will regularly meet with the armed forces community to learn about what challenges they face and work with partners to address them.
Councillor Adam Hicken, Walsall Council’s Armed Forces Champion, said they wanted to recognise the sacrifices made on the nation’s behalf and ensure the system is fair for them.
He said: “It is easy to agree to these values, and to tick boxes saying that we are delivering to them, but are we?
“We have seen in recent years the work that charities do in supporting those in recovery, we have seen the injuries that some of our veterans now suffer from, and as a society we have begun to understand how our armed forces community can suffer from mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
“The injuries, mental trauma, and even the experiences that come with serving in the armed forces can stick with people for the rest of their lives.
“And we rarely see the strain that this can put upon the families of those who have served.
“Whilst we have a role in ensuring that our armed forces community have access to the right services, and that they are not disadvantaged by service to our country, we often don’t understand all of the ways in which this community can be affected in some less direct ways.
“Loneliness, homelessness, access to housing, access to education and employment, these can all be barriers which drastically affect someone’s life.
“This is why the Armed Forces Covenant exists. And this is the role that we play, to make sure that the system does not place those who have served, or their families, at a disadvantage.
“So it would be easy to come here and say that we are producing a report and everything is fine. But the reality is that there are likely disadvantages in the system, that there is more that can be done.
“Ten years ago we first signed the Armed Forces Covenant, which included pledges to support the local armed forces community.
“Walsall Council is going to re-sign the Armed Forces Covenant. This isn’t because we have to, there is no duty to do so, but we are going to do it because we want to.
“We want our armed forces community to know that we are on their side. That they shouldn’t have to face disadvantage for serving their country. That we will stand by them, and we will do our best to make sure that they have fair access to the services that they need.”
He added the town hall will be open for all – particularly the armed forces community, on Saturday, November 18 between 11am and 2pm so people can learn about what help is available to them.
The covenant will also be formally re-signed with members of the Ministry of Defence present.
