The Sovini Group
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 Sovini Group 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 Sovini Group 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 Reservists
We also pledge the following:

Promoting the Armed Forces: Promote the Armed Forces Covenant, the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme and support for the Armed Forces Community to our staff, customers/service users, supply chains and the wider public. Use the Covenant and Employer Recognition Scheme logos in our communications and marketing. Employment support to members of the Armed Forces Community: Offer guaranteed interview schemes to ex-armed forces, reservists, service leavers, cadets, military spouses, and partners. Support reservists by offering them additional days of annual leave (paid/unpaid) in order to carry out their duties. Give due consideration to annual leave requests made by spouses of reservists, cadets and regular military personnel who have been called up for active duty on military operations. Offer additional (paid/unpaid) annual leave to Cadet Force Adult Volunteers to help them carry out their training requirement. Engage with the Career Transition Partnership. Consider ways in which remote-working solutions might benefit the mobile Armed Forces Community, especially partners and spouses. Wherever possible we will remove boundaries for any person, focusing instead on productivity and successful outcomes. Communications, engagement, and outreach: Appoint an Armed Forces Champion within our organisation to act as a focal point for organising and promoting support for the Armed Forces Community. Engage with and support local Armed Forces charities, for example by supporting their fundraising activities. Signpost members of the Armed Forces Community to available support. Run, facilitate or promote support networks (such as coffee mornings) for veterans and other members of the Armed Forces Community. Engage with any local Armed Forces presence for example, veterans and community groups. Develop relationships and work collaboratively with other organisations supporting the Covenant and the Armed Forces Community in our locality/region. Provide and/or promote training, such as e-learning, for our staff on the Armed Forces Community. Support or promote Armed Forces events, such as Armed Forces Day/Week, Reserves Day, the Poppy Appeal and Remembrance activities. Commercial: Provide concessionary trips on our charity boat, the Pride of Sefton, to organisations supporting the Armed Forces Community. Housing: Waive the local-connection requirement for eligibility for social housing for ex-Service personnel (this applies for a maximum of 5 years after discharge). Provide for additional preference in our social housing allocation scheme for certain members of the Armed Forces Community should they meet required criteria. Promote awareness of housing and homelessness services among the Armed Forces Community. Civic responsibilities: Organ

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.