Raising the flag for veterans' rights
Mansfield District Council has marked the first national Armed Forces Week by hosting a ceremony at which organisations have pledged to honour the rights of service veterans.
A ceremony was held at the Civic Centre this Monday (22 June) at which Executive Mayor, Tony Egginton invited Gulf War Veteran Jason Rathbone to raise a special flag, which will fly for the duration of the week.
During the ceremony, partners including the District Council (Housing, Homelessness and Benefits sections), Jobcentre Plus, Notts Police, the Royal British Legion, National Gulf Veterans and Families Association and Mansfield CVS came together to sign the Mansfield Service Veterans' Charter.
The charter acknowledges that service veterans may have issues that can impact on their well-being and affect their adjustment to civilian life and the service providers signing will:
- Contribute to a Service Veteran's returning home pack
- Provide signposting and information through each providers web site
- Ensure that members of staff are briefed on the issues and where specialist charitable assistance may be available and of benefit to the veteran.
Mansfield's Executive Mayor, Tony Egginton, commented: "We are, rightly, proud of the loyalty and dedication to duty of all members of our armed forces and the preparation and signing of the Mansfield Service Veterans Charter shows that, as partner organisations, we recognise that veterans may have issues which affect them adjusting to civilian life."
"By coming together in this way, not only to we recognise the first National Armed Forces Week, but we are also ensuring that by coming together and delivering services that are tailored to suit the needs of veterans we show our pride in them long after they have left the field of battle."
"I am confident that as more partners come on board, further services will be offered and this charter will be a living document of real benefit not only to current service veterans but also to those who are currently serving or who may serve in the Armed Forces in the future."