Early achievements of Norfolk Armed Forces Community Covenant are celebrated at County Hall in Norwich

By DAVID FREEZER Friday, March 8, 2013
6:30 AM

The achievements of the Norfolk Armed Forces Community Covenant have been celebrated at a first anniversary event at County Hall in Norwich.

Norfolk County Council's Armed Forces Community Covenant first anniversary event at County Hall. Photo: Steve Adams

Local military organisations, charities and communities came together for the event yesterday to celebrate the first year of the covenant.

Led by Norfolk County Council, the covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its armed forces community, with more than 8,000 service personnel and their families living in Norfolk.

The county council spent £50,000 on covenant events in its first year and has pledged another £25,000 for the next 12 months.

Tony Tomkinson, county councillor and Norfolk Armed Forces commissioner, said: “Norfolk has a long and proud association with the armed forces through past and present RAF and army bases such as Marham, Swanton Morley, and the Norwich TA Centre.

Norfolk County Council's Armed Forces Community Covenant first anniversary event at County Hall. Artist Peter Cousins painting of Operation Panther's Claw being unveiled by council chairmanIan Monson.Photo: Steve Adams

“There is a strong Cadet Force presence here and HMS Dauntless is also affiliated with the county. It is important that we continue to support all of our armed forces personnel as well as recognise and remember the sacrifices they have faced.”

So far the covenant has allowed for mobile library visits to military bases, 8,000 museum vouchers to be given to Norfolk’s forces families and funding to be made available to support homecoming parades such as the Royal Anglians parade in Diss in November and the Light Dragoons parade in Dereham in December.

Among many other achievements an umbrella group for armed forces charities, Veterans Norfolk, has also been created.

County council leader Bill Borrett said: “Our Armed Forces are an integral part of who we are as a county and we will forever be indebted to them for the courage and commitment they give our country to help preserve the freedoms we enjoy.

Norfolk County Council's Armed Forces Community Covenant first anniversary event at County Hall. Richard Dannatt Photo: Steve Adams

“The Norfolk Community Covenant was formed to set out a moral obligation between the people of Norfolk and the county’s armed forces and it is pleasing to see that we have seen a great number of achievements since the signing of the Covenant 12 months ago.

“More activities are planned throughout 2013 including a Health and Welfare event during Armed Forces Week and the opening of the new Norfolk Regimental Museum which will open at its new home at Norwich Castle.”

For more about the covenant, go to www.norfolk.gov.uk/armedforces