City of Edinburgh Council - Head Office
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 City of Edinburgh Council - Head Office 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 City of Edinburgh Council - Head Office 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:

-Supporting employment of service spouses and partners through our inclusive advertisement of job opportunities, and promotion of and access to joined up to Jobs, the Edinburgh guarantee and Business Gateway -Endeavouring flexibility to service spouses and partners, this will be assisted through the roll out of our covenant e-learning to all council staff, and the establishment of an employee forum for armed forces veterans and reservists network -Offering support to cadets: who are recognised by the appointment each year of two Lord Lieutenant cadets, and work with volunteer Edinburgh to highlight the opportunity for staff to become cadet helpers and instructors -Armed forces day: coordinating and hosting the day with our key forces partners and promote the week through our website and intranet and on the Council’s twitter and facebook pages, linked to the armed forces day website -Considering joining the defence discount scheme to offer discounts to Edinburgh leisure facilities, and Usher Hall and Assembly room productions and events -Recognising forces service as residency if registered within 3 years of leaving under the Edinburgh housing index -Keeping our armed forces covenant webpage up to date and relevant -Advertising the covenant fund on our website, and supporting applicants -Coordinating with our partners covenant activity in Edinburgh through the Edinburgh armed forces covenant group -Responding to the veterans strategy with the establishment of the Lord Provost’s veterans commission for Edinburgh -Referring clients to appropriate veteran support organisations and charities

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.