The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-10)

We, the undersigned, commit to honour the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community. We recognise the value Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.

The Armed Forces Covenant

An enduring covenant between the people of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Government and all those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of the Crown and their families

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.

Section 1: Principles of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant

1.1 We The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers will endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:
- no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen;
- and in some circumstances that special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our commitment

2.1 The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers recognises 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 pledging to the following:

We also pledge the following:

1.1 We, the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, will endeavour to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant: ? Members of the Armed Forces Community should not face disadvantages arising from their service in the provision of public and commercial services. ? In some circumstances special provision may be justified, especially for those who have given the most, such as the injured or bereaved. Section 2: Demonstrating our Commitment 2.1 We recognise the contribution that Service personnel, reservists, veterans, the cadet movement and military families make to our organisation, our community and to the country. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant by: ? Promoting the Armed Forces: We will maintain strong links with each of our affiliated service units, through regu-lar communications, and regular involvement for service personnel in Company events, both sporting and social. We will involve a cross section of members in visits to affiliated units, when such opportunities arise. We will raise awareness across our network of members of the scope of duties car-ried out by the Armed Forces and the importance of the Armed Forces Covenant. We will encourage members of our affiliated service units to become members of the Haberdashers? Aspire Mentoring Programme to provide mentoring support to pupils in Haberdashers? schools. We will involve members of the affiliated service units in the activities of the Haber-dashers? Schools Combined Cadet Force and Army Cadet Force units. We will offer membership of the Company to those members of our affiliated service units who have made a notable contribution to the relationship with the Company. We will seek to ensure that members who are deployed on active service are sup-ported and receive communications from the Company during their period of duty. ? Employment support to members of the Armed Forces Community: We will encourage members who are employers to consider employing and support-ing veterans, reservists, Cadet Force Adult volunteers and members of military fami-lies. We will encourage members who are employers to consider signing the Armed Forces Covenant withing their organisations. We will advertise our own office vacancies with service charities and employment agencies set up to help those who are changing career or retiring from active ser-vice. We will support any reservists employed by the Company by providing appropriate paid leave for days when they are on deployment or required training and will give leave of absence from Court or Committee business for any members or officers of the Company who are members of the Armed Forces and may be deployed or called to training. We will encourage and support members who are volunteer leaders in military cadet organisations and publicise achievements reported to us by cadet units, recognising the benefits of employing cadets and ex-cadets within the workforce ? Communications, engagement and outreach: We will celebrate our links with affiliated service units on the Company website. We will feature the work of the affiliated service units in Company communications to the membership, including the Haberdasher magazine and routine electronic bul-letins. We will engage with social media posts issued by our affiliated service units, re-posting, commenting and reacting as most appropriate. We will not publish names and photos of serving personnel without the express consent of the individuals and the CO or Officer Commanding respectively. ? Civic responsibilities: We will encourage our members and those in our core and social media network to support the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal and other Remembrance activities. We will participate in, and provide a financial contribution to, the City of London Garden of Remembrance Service annually, to show respect to the fallen and giving thanks for the service of all in the Armed Forces. We will support our affiliated service units with appropriate representation at all mili-tary and civic functions at which their role and contribution to the community are be-ing recognised. 2.2 We will publicise these commitments on the Company website.

2.2 We will publicise these commitments through our literature and/or on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community and our customers on how we are doing.