I welcome that Eastbourne Borough Council has formally signed the joint local Community Covenant and embraced the principles which the Covenant upholds.
With recent events in Woolwich, we are reminded, again, of the terrible price some pay in the service of our country, they and their loved ones.
In my teaching years, when working in a boarding school, I was in loco parentis for the daughters of military personnel and so have privileged insight into the lives of military families, incredible cameraderie often but also the everyday sacrifices in service life; I saw too the challenges of coming out of the Forces, particularly around Health, Housing and Education.
The Community Covenant recognises the unique circumstances of Service Life and affirms the special relationship we have with our Armed Forces.
And, through the Community Covenant Grant Scheme, I look forward to seeing local community groups coming forward with initiatives which will enhance and extend that relationship.