Warwick
Military parade marks covenant signing

Buy photos » The parade from Northgate Street. (s)

A MILITARY parade in Warwick on Saturday (June 30) marked the signing of the Armed Forces Community Covenant.

The move, designed to help serving and former armed services personnel and their families in civilian life, is being encouraged across the country and was signed at the weekend by Warwickshire County Council and other local bodies and charities.

Up to 30 uniformed air cadets and staff from Warwickshire and Birmingham Wing Air Training Corps, joined by the award-winning Corps of Drums from 121 (Nuneaton) Squadron, paraded from Pageant Gardens up Church Street where the Lord Lieutenant and other dignitaries took a salute.

County council leader Alan Farnell, who signed the covenant, said: “All of us in the UK owes a great debt to armed forces personnel, past and present.

“By agreeing to this covenant and in agreeing to working with partners, the county council is demonstrating a real commitment to improving the lives of armed forces personnel.”

In Warwickshire the covenant will help former service personnel to access services such as housing, social care, health care and education for themselves and their families.

With a covenant in place, the county council will be well positioned to bid for part of a £30 million pot which will be available over the next four years, providing sums of between £100 and £250,000, to be used in projects supporting armed forces personnel in civilian life.

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