ST HELENS Council is planning to reaffirm its commitment to the Armed Forces.

The local authority is set to sign the Armed Forces Covenant once again.

This is an organisational pledge to support members of the Armed Forces Community by ensuring they are not disadvantaged by their service experience when accessing council services such as public health, housing, and education, or when they work for the council as an employee.

Senior councillors approved a report to sign the covenant at a cabinet meeting at St Helens Town Hall on September 25.

Veterans take part in an Armed Forces Day parade, organised by St Helens Borough Council in partnership with local veterans (Image: St Helens Borough Council) This decision comes in light of council figures revealing that 6,036 households across the borough have at least one occupier who has served in the British Armed Forces, making up 7.5 per cent of all households.

This is above the England and Wales average.

Councillor Keith Laird, St Helens Borough Council’s cabinet member for people, performance and IT, said: "As a council, it is important to sign the Armed Forces Covenant in recognition of the commitment and sacrifices that British military, both regular and reservist, make to protect our freedoms.

"We also acknowledge the contributions that veterans, the cadet movement, and military families make as valued members of our borough community."

Since 2012, the council has led the St Helens Armed Forces Community Covenant partnership, demonstrating its commitment through several initiatives and events.

These include free and discounted membership offers in council-run leisure centres for past and present members of the Armed Forces, and an annual Armed Forces Day event in partnership with veterans.

A St Helens Armed Forces Day parade in Victoria Park (Image: St Helens Borough Council) Last year, the council awarded Freedom of the Borough to the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, the borough’s local regular army regiment in the North West.

Councillor Lynn Clarke, St Helens Borough Council’s Armed Forces Champion, said: "It will be a great honour to sign the Armed Forces Covenant again as a promise to ensure that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are recognised, honoured, and treated fairly with the respect they deserve."

Councillor Clarke will sign the Armed Forces Covenant in October at St Helens Town Hall.

For more information on the support available to past and present members of the Armed Forces community in St Helens Borough, visit their website.