Thames Water Utilities Limited
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 Thames Water Utilities Limited 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 Thames Water Utilities Limited 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
We also pledge the following:

-Displaying the armed forces covenant logo on our website, intranet, email signatures and all relevant correspondence including our advertising -Continuing to develop our internal military network to create a positive and supportive culture within the business towards the armed forces community -Meeting our internal military network on a quarterly basis to share ideas on how to continually move forward and engage with more people from the armed forces community -Maintain a specific military group on our internal communications portal ‘Vammer’ to share upcoming events and engage with new service leavers who are joining Thames Water -Attending CTP career fairs, holding webinars with armed forces community, presenting at CTP events to share our internal military’s experience -Attending and presenting at OE events. Working closely with them and other like-minded businesses to share best practice -Attending REME and BFRS careers events to discuss short term and long term career planning with service leavers and their family -Holding military insight days at our treatment works 3 times a year to invite service leavers to meet our internal military network including senior managers to get insight on their potential career paths for development within Thames Water and network with employees who have been through a similar experience -Our reserve policy offers up to 10 days additional paid leave (subject to 6 months service) for reservists to do training and camp -Thames Water commits to raising money to support for BLESMA by holding charity events -Thames Water also holds an event every year for Remembrance day at Ashford commom bringing the internal military network together

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.