We signed the Armed Forces Covenant in November 2011 (previously known as the Community Covenant). This Local Covenant complements the National Armed Forces Covenant and is a statement of mutual support between the civilian and local Armed Forces Community. The Armed Forces Community in Sheffield includes:
- all those who serve or have served in the British Royal Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Merchant Navy
- cadets and other training groups who aspire to serve their country in the future, including Air, Army and Sea Cadets as well as the Territorial Army
- reservists, veterans and those who care for, depend on and are close family members of those outlined above
People as young as 17 can be sent on active service so many veterans are younger than people realise, nearly a quarter of people seeking help from the Royal British Legion are under the age of 44.
We do not know exactly the size of the Armed Forces Community in Sheffield, we do know in the last 5 years there has been around 300 people from Sheffield sign up to the armed forces. There are also around 1,300 individuals receiving a Ministry of Defence pension following active service.
The Armed Forces Covenant ensures that services:
- recognise the contribution made by the Armed Forces Community
- remember the sacrifices made by members of the Armed Forces Community
- share knowledge, experience and expertise to provide help and advice to members of the Armed Forces Community
- encourage the integration from service life into civilian life
The Sheffield Community Covenant Partnership Board is made up of representatives of Sheffield City Council, the Armed Forces and partners across the city who have signed the Armed Forces Covenant. The main focus of the Partnership Board is to enhance and join up the services, organisations and resources available for members of the Armed Forces Community.
The Partnership Board has produced a Directory that details the support available to the local Armed Forces Community. Our newsletter provides a summary of our work and will be published twice a year.
For enquiries or more information about our work with the Armed Forces Community please contact us.