More communities getting behind the Armed Forces Covenant
More communities across the country are coming up with innovative ideas and initiatives to improve the lives of Service personnel and their families, the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Mark Francois, has announced today.
Armed Forces Community Covenant (stock image) [Picture: Sergeant Alison Baskerville, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012]
Speaking at the Army Families Federation annual conference and launching the next set of Community Covenant Grant projects, Mark Francois confirmed the Ministry of Defence would give £1.3m to communities across the country - funding 36 new projects.
This brings the total Ministry of Defence spend on the Community Covenant Grant Scheme to £5m in just over a year.
The new Community Covenant Grant projects announced today include:
* funding for a new support centre for veterans and their families in Nottinghamshire
* an innovative peer-mentoring scheme to help young people from the Armed Forces integrate into communities in Cornwall
* helping veterans find work in Glasgow, and
* three projects to bring together the Armed Forces and local communities in Bradford.
Mr Francois said:
These latest projects demonstrate the high regard the public has for the Armed Forces and I am delighted that people up and down the country continue to show their support and gratitude through each new idea and initiative.
As a former TA [Territorial Army] officer, I welcome any project which will help forge closer links between the Armed Forces and their local communities.
The Community Covenant scheme was launched in June 2011 and since then nearly 150 Local Authorities across the UK have pledged their support to the Armed Forces and signed up to a Community Covenant, including cities such as London, Edinburgh and Liverpool.
The Government also made £30m available for communities to establish their own projects and kick start initiatives that will make real change for Armed Forces and their families.