We are pleased to announce that Hunts Blind have recently signed the Armed Forces Covenant.
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation to those who serve or who have served, and their families, which says we will do all we can to ensure they are treated fairly and not disadvantaged in their day-to-day lives. The Armed Forces Covenant relies on the people, communities, and businesses of the UK to actively support it in order to make a difference.
The Government is committed to supporting the Armed Forces community by working with a range of partners who have signed the Armed Forces Covenant. The Covenant brings together the Government, businesses, local authorities, charities and the public in order to support those who serve.
Section 1: Principles of The Armed Forces Covenant
1.1 We, Huntingdonshire Society for the Blind & Vision Impaired, will endeavour to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant:
- Members of the Armed Forces Community should not face disadvantages arising from their service in the provision of public and commercial services.
- In some circumstances special provision may be justified, especially for those who have given the most, such as the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our Commitment
2.1 We recognise the contribution that Service personnel, reservists, veterans, the cadet movement and military families make to our organisation, our community and to the country. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant by:
- Promoting that we are an Armed Forces Friendly Organisation. We will promote this on our website and literature. Hunts Blind was set up in 1922 to support and provide vital services for those veterans who returned from the First World War blind.
- Promoting the Armed Forces Covenant. We will advocate the benefits of signing the Armed Forces Covenant to all organisations that we work alongside and support.
- Encouraging all staff to download the Forces Connect App and undertake Armed Forces Covenant training
- Adding the Armed Forces Community question to our membership data. We will ask all current and prospective members if they are members of the Armed Forces Community so that we can provide appropriate signposting and record this on our data base.
- Participating in local events organised for Armed Forces Day. To promote the work we do in Huntingdonshire and connect with more vision impaired veterans and their families.
- Working with the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Armed Forces Covenant Partnership
- Coordinator to promote the help we can offer by delivering talks, equipment demos and having a regular presence at local veterans’ associations. This will include Breakfast Clubs in Ramsey, St Ives and Huntingdon, and St Neots.
- Forming links with our local Armed Forces Unit. We will link in with Community Development and Unit Welfare at RAF Wyton to ensure they are aware of the support that Hunts Blind provide.
2.2 We will publicise these commitments on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Armed Forces Community and our customers on how we are doing.
The below is a statement from Tommy Kelly who is our local coordinator.
It’s fantastic that Hunts Blind & Vision Impaired are signing the Armed Forces Covenant to publicly display their support for the Armed Forces Community. Huntingdonshire has the highest number of veterans in Cambridgeshire and a significant number of serving personnel and families at RAF Wyton.
Hunts Blind & Vision Impaired are joining a growing number or charities, business, community groups and other organisations that have signed the Armed Forces Covenant.