An Armed Forces Covenant Partnership Board has been formed to make sure to the 87,000 serving Armed Forces personnel and 320,000 veterans across the region are treated fairly.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation to those who serve or have served that we will do all we can to ensure they are not disadvantaged in their day-to-day lives. The covenant seeks to ensure fair treatment for regulars, reservists, veterans and their immediate families.

A partnership board has been formed to direct the South West Partnership and to ensure that it improves delivery of the covenant over Wiltshire, Bristol City, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Somerset.

The demands of serving in the Armed Forces means servicemen and women, and their families, can experience unfair treatment – often due to them moving house frequently in the interests of the service.

Unfair treatment can occur in the areas of credit, finance and insurance, education and school places, employment, healthcare, housing and the criminal justice system.

The Chair of the South West Partnership Board, Cllr Rod Williams, said: “I’m delighted to facilitate the wish of so many south west authorities to strengthen our delivery of the covenant. I thank Wiltshire for its initiative and having got us to this start-point.”