Poignant week for Coventry sees council sign Armed Forces Covenant

Coventry City Council has renewed its pledge to support current and former members of the Armed Forces as well as their families in a poignant week for the area. The council did this by signing the Armed Forces Covenant, something it has done for years but decided to repeat to encourage other organisations to do so.

It is a pledge to recognise the sacrifices made by those who have served their country and to remove any economic or societal disadvantages it may cause for them. The signing came in the week of Remembrance Sunday and days before the anniversary of the Blitz that devastated Coventry on November 14, 1940

Councillor Marcus Lapsa, from Westwood ward and a former member of the Armed Forces, attended the signing ceremony.
He said: “Sadly, sometimes those who have served and their families can find it difficult to transition into civilian life. In signing the covenant we are showing the council’s dedication to supporting them and doing all we can to help them become a part of their new communities and build a life after service. It is not just a document, it is a solemn promise, and at Coventry we will continue to work together and find new ways to help the Armed Forces community and inspire others to do the same."

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The council was one of four local authorities and nine businesses to sign the covenant. Others included Warwickshire County Council, and representatives of Gamecock Barracks and DM Kineton, both also in Warwickshire. Coventry City Council was recently given the silver level of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme for its work with the Armed Forces.

Councillor Linda Bigham, Armed Forces Champion, said: “Coventry has always been linked with the Armed Forces and will always be very proud of that association. We owe all those who serve today and have served in the past, a huge debt of gratitude that can never be repaid, but we can promise that we will support them and their families and do all we can to help them."