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Armed Forces serving personnel, veterans, reservists and their families are valued members of our communities. All councils have signed the voluntary Armed Forces Covenant and are fully committed to honouring their obligations to those who have served their country.
Councils work with partner organisations to provide a range of services that support serving personnel and their families. Councils also support veterans and their families to adjust from the Armed Forces to civilian life, including housing, money advice, employment support, schools and health and wellbeing services. The Armed Forces Act 2021 introduced a new requirement for some public bodies, including local authorities and the NHS, to pay due regard to the principles of the Covenant when carrying out specific functions in the areas of housing, healthcare and education.
The LGA Armed Forces Covenant Network plays a crucial role in shaping the Local Government Association's (LGA) lobbying efforts on behalf of councils across England. Our mission is to ensure local authorities have the resources, support, and funding they need to fully uphold the Armed Forces Covenant Duty and provide fair and comprehensive support to the armed forces community in their areas.
The network is open to lead local authority officers involved in delivering the Armed Forces Covenant and aims to:
- Promote knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices among local authorities to strengthen support for the armed forces community.
- Influence the LGA's lobbying strategy to secure central government policies that provide local councils with the necessary resources and funding to meet the needs of the armed forces community.
- Identify and leverage key opportunities through events, media, consultations, and public affairs to further the network's objectives.
If your council would like to join the network please email [email protected].
LGA documents
Ministry of Defence documents
- Armed Forces Covenant including resources for local authorities such as e-learning modules developed for front line staff and housing, homelessness and the Armed Forces Covenant
- Veterans’ Strategy action plan
- UK Armed Forces Families Strategy 2022 to 2032
- Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees
- Armed Forces Covenant and Veterans annual report 2021
Other useful links
- Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, including a Knowledge Network that enables councils and others to access learning and best practice from the grant making of the Armed Forces Covent Fund Trust
- Falklands 40