Veterans Woodcraft CIC
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 Veterans Woodcraft CIC 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 Veterans Woodcraft CIC 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:
- Armed Forces Friendly
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
- UK Service Spouses And Partners
- Flexible Leave For Spouses
- UK Reservists
- UK Cadets
- Armed Forces Day
- Discounts
We also pledge the following:

Promoting the fact that we are an armed forces-friendly organisation; Veterans Woodcraft is run by veterans for veterans. Enabling veterans, Armed Forces personnel and their families to connect with likeminded people. People who have been where they have been, done what they have done and suffered how they have suffered. Seeking to support the employment of veterans young and old and working with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), in order to establish a tailored employment pathway for Service Leavers; We deliver fully funded and subsidised workshops to all veterans. To both help with improving their mental health and wellbeing and to develop their employability skills for a tailored employment pathway. Striving to support the employment of Service spouses and partners; We endeavour, where possible, to encourage veterans, Service spouses and partners, especially our beneficiaries and volunteers, to apply for positions in our organisation when opportunities arise. Endeavouring to offer a degree of flexibility in granting leave for Service spouses and partners before, during and after a partners deployment; As we are an organisation run by veterans, who fully understand the life of military personnel, then we are always as flexible as possible when granting leave. Seeking to support our employees who choose to be members of the Reserve forces, including by accommodating their training and deployment where possible; As we are an organisation run by veterans, who fully understand the life of military personnel and the Reserve Forces, then we would give them 100% support. Offering support to our local cadet units, either in our local community or in local schools, where possible; We endeavour to work with the AWS supporting the Young People in the Community Project or other project that may arise. Aiming to actively participate in Armed Forces Day; We always support this by attending 1-, 2- and 3-day Armed Forces Day events. Offering a discount to members of the Armed Forces Community; We offer free and subsidised workshops as grant funding becomes available. As there is a large Gurkha veteran and Nepalese community in Richmondshire that we work with, we will endeavour to help them build a Nepalese Cultural & Heritage centre in the Catterick area. Something that they would love to achieve

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.