The Isles of Scilly will sign the Armed Forces Community Covenant at a special ceremony on 15th July 2014. Soon every Local Authority in the country will have signed a similar covenant.
Community covenants complement, at a local level, the armed forces covenant, which outlines the moral obligation between the nation, the government and the armed forces. The aim of the community covenant is to encourage local communities to support the armed forces community in their area and promote understanding and awareness among the public of issues affecting the armed forces community. HMS Bulwark will arrive in the islands on 15th July and will serve as the venue for the ceremony.
The Armed Forces Covenant Commissioning Service will take place outside Star Castle on 15th July at 17.30. The public is invited to attend this service, which will only take place weather permitting, to be followed by a ceremonial sunset ceremony, also weather permitting.
Council Chairman Amanda Martin said: “Our islands owe a considerable debt to all our armed services for which we thank them profusely. In this centenary year of the start of World War One, this ceremony has a particular resonance. Signing the Armed Forces Community Covenant is a tangible means of expressing our thanks and support to the armed services and their families."