Somerset Council to 'reaffirm' support to Armed Forces - by signing a Covenant

A ceremony will be held at County Hall in Taunton on Monday (19 June)

Author: Oliver MorganPublished 15th Jun 2023
Last updated 15th Jun 2024

Somerset Council will 'reaffirm' its support for the Armed Forces on Monday (June 19) at a service and ceremony in Taunton for the start of Armed Forces Week.

A 'Covenant' will be signed at the County Hall - to enshrine pledges, including to remember the sacrifices made by the armed forces community.

It'll be the first time the new Somerset Council will have marked the event, after it came into being back in April.

South Somerset Council is a former Covenant signatory, having been a member since 2012.

On Monday, Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Liz Leyshon, and National Hydrographer Rear Admiral Rhett Hatcher, will sign the Covenant when civic dignitaries and Armed Forces representatives gather at the event.

Monday’s ceremony will reinforce that commitment to uphold the Covenant that enshrines these pledges:

  • Encouraging local communities to support their local armed forces community and vice versa
  • Promoting public understanding and awareness of issues that affect the armed forces community
  • Recognising and remembering the sacrifices made by the armed forces community
  • Encouraging activities that help to integrate the armed forces community into local life

Cllr Leyshon said: “As a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, Somerset Council recognises the debt that we owe to our Armed Forces past and present, and their families.

"The signing underlines that commitment as we go forward as a single council for Somerset.”

The signing will follow the official raising of the Armed Forces Day flag by WO1 RSM Duncan Maddocks.

The service will be hosted at County Hall in Taunton by the Chair of Somerset Council, Cllr Mike Best, and the Mayor of Taunton, Cllr Nick O’Donnell.

The Armed Forces Day flag will be flown at all Somerset Council’s main offices leading up to National Armed Forces Day on Saturday, 24 June.

You can find out more about the Covenant on the Somerset Council website.

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