Veterans & Families - Listening Project (V&F-LP)
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 & Families - Listening Project (V&F-LP) 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 & Families - Listening Project (V&F-LP) 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 Cadets
- Armed Forces Day
We also pledge the following:

promoting the fact that we are an armed forces-friendly organisation; V&F-LP encourage as well as engages with Veterans & Families with our community hub. We provide a variety of support networks for Veterans & Families to facilitate. 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 have representatives from Royal Legion Poppy Factory, Stoll, Walking With the Wounded, Mike Jackson House, British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS), as well as local connections. aiming to actively participate in Armed Forces Day; - V&F-LP work with the several councils Surrey Heath Borough, Rushmoor Borough & Berkshire councils, and have been involved Raising the Flag as well as participate in organised events promoting AFC Day throughout the communities. any additional commitments: - To enhance and improve the quality of the day-to-day lives of veterans as well as their families, through support, information, sign-posting V&F-LP could make (based on local circumstances). V&F-LP hold regular Veterans & Families Well-Being groups for those needing support and camaraderie due to isolation, anxiety, and loneliness. Supported by a qualified practitioner - We engage with an assortment of outlets to provide regular presentations to Veterans & Families: Financial matters, modern day slavery, museum curators, recovery college - V&F-LP provide on-site facility of support networks, information debt, benefits, Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, War Pensions, Well-Being, Mentoring, employment & CV restricting, housing / accommodation 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; - V&F-LP have representatives from Royal Legion Poppy Factory, Stoll, Walking With the Wounded, Mike Jackson House, British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS), as well as local connections. We empower as well as give group members the skills, experience, confidence, and opportunity to run and facilitate groups themselves, over the coming years. Provide mutual support and mentoring to those less well settled veterans and their families. As well as veterans & their families that have encountered common social problems, such as substance abuse, mental health issues, relationship-breakdown, loneliness. - V&F-LP provide First Aid Mental Health (level 2 certified) courses to the Armed Forces Community (AFC) as well as those that support AFC too. - Organise stakeholder events highlighting a variety accessible resources available by agencies, organisations, charities as well as other groups and support our local cadet units in our local communities as well as local schools open to the Veterans & Families of our Armed Forces Community - V&F-LP provide a safe haven for veterans & their families, to be able to talk about the impact their service has had on their lives and being able to assist with the positive and negative impact if required by the Veterans as well as their families To inform and provide information for the public and healthcare professionals, to assist and improve the support of healthcare currently provided for veterans as well as their families. V&F-LP are active members of Clinical Commissioning Groups, Community Mental Health Recovery Services, local Integrated Mental Health Services, and Surrey & Hampshire Recovery Colleges - V&F-LP have an open door policy, we are not restricted by postcodes. We are here to support Veterans & Families wherever they maybe regardless of present circumstances

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.