In May 2019, Brightwells first committed to honour the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community.
This was done to recognise the value Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.
Our commitment realises the fundamental principles and reasons behind the Armed Forces Covenant, which are included in the statement made when signing up to give support:
The first duty of Government is the defence of the realm. Our Armed Forces fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the Government, sacrificing some civilian freedoms, facing danger and, sometimes, suffering serious injury or death as a result of their duty.
Families also play a vital role in supporting the operational effectiveness of our Armed
Forces. In return, the whole nation has a moral obligation to the members of the Naval Service, the Army and the Royal Air Force, together with their families. They deserve our respect and support, and fair treatment.
Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.
This obligation involves the whole of society: it includes voluntary and charitable bodies, private organisations, and the actions of individuals in supporting the Armed Forces. Recognising those who have performed military duty unites the country and demonstrates the value of their contribution. This has no greater expression than in upholding this Covenant.
The principles of the covenant are clear upon commitment and we endeavour in our business dealings to uphold them, principally:
- no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen;
- in some circumstances, and where our terms of business allow, special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved
We recognise the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by:
- promoting the fact that we are an armed forces-friendly organisation;
- seeking to support the employment of veterans young and old and working with the Career Transition Partnership (CFP), in order to establish a tailored employment pathway for Service Leavers;
- striving to support the employment of Service spouses and partners;
- seeking to support our employees who choose to be members of the Reserve forces, including by accommodating their training and deployment where possible;
- offering support to our local cadet units, either in our local community or in local schools, where possible;
- aiming to actively participate in Armed Forces Day.
We will publicise these commitments through our website and occasionally through other marketing streams, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community and our customers on how we are doing.
