Citizens Advice Rushmoor pledge commitment to Armed Forces Community during Remembrance 2024
PRESS RELEASE – 15/11/2024
Citizens Advice Rushmoor has become a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, reinforcing its commitment to supporting the Armed Forces Community, during this year’s national services of annual Remembrance.
In a short ceremony at Aldershot’s historic Prince Consort’s Library, Trustee Sqn Ldr John Wolley RAF (Retd) proudly signed the Covenant on behalf of Citizens Advice Rushmoor alongside Commander Aldershot Garrison, Lt Col Graeme Macpherson TD RLC.
Based within the ‘Home of the British Army’ for over 84 years, Citizens Advice Rushmoor has long championed its local Armed Forces Community. Services have, over many years, been informed by and delivered to meet its specific needs; working in collaboration with the Garrison and other local Armed Forces charities and organisations. Their award-winning Nepali Domestic and Sexual Abuse Support Service was recently featured as an example of best practice in the Ministry of Defence’s Domestic Abuse Action Plan 2024-2029, illustrating the charity’s place at the forefront of those efforts. Rushmoor’s sizeable ex-Gurkha community, the largest in the UK, is also well-served by the charity’s weekly Nepali language drop-in advice service.
Since 2013, over 12,000 organisations have publicly pledged their support to the Armed Forces Community by signing the Covenant. This voluntary pledge helps build a two-way relationship, helping to raise awareness of the immense contribution that those who serve, or who have served, and their families, make to everything employers do. In addition to the Covenant’s key principles, Citizens Advice Rushmoor also pledged to:
- Promote the Armed Forces: promote that we are an Armed Forces-friendly charity to our staff, clients, suppliers, contractors, partners, and the wider public
- Services: continue to develop services that meet the specific needs of our local Armed Forces Community, training our staff and volunteers about the community.
- Partnership Working: maintain our excellent relationship with units and command within Aldershot Garrison and its HQ; and continuing to work collaboratively with others supporting our Armed Forces Community across Rushmoor and the wider area, such as with our specialist domestic abuse and Nepali language services.
After the signing, John – who was recently appointed as the charity’s Armed Forces Champion as part of its pledges under the Covenant – commented:
“By pledging Citizens Advice Rushmoor’s support and joining the Armed Forces Covenant, we acknowledge the importance of ensuring our servicemen and women and their families receive the respect, support, and fair treatment they deserve. It is a promise to uphold the values of unity, solidarity, and gratitude towards those who risk their lives for our safety.
“This commitment is perhaps all the more pressing here in Rushmoor – a borough with such a rich Army heritage, and proud home to so many from the Armed Forces Community.”
Lt Col Macpherson added:
“Joining the Armed Forces Covenant is not just a symbolic gesture; it is a concrete step towards creating a society that values and cherishes the sacrifices of our military personnel. It is a commitment to fostering an environment where Serving personnel, their families and receive the care, recognition, and opportunities they rightfully deserve.
“I commend Citizens Advice Rushmoor for their undertaking and encourage every local business and charity to consider joining them. Together, we can better protect those who protect us, by ensuring fair treatment and no disadvantage for all who serve in the Armed Forces and their families.”
In addition to the Covenant – and in recognition of its dedication to this vital sector of the local community – Citizens Advice Rushmoor has also been awarded the Bronze award by the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).
