A MEMBER of the City of York Council will consider proposals to provide further support to York’s armed forces community in an upcoming meeting.

The proposals will be looked at by Councillor Darryl Smalley, the council’s executive member for culture, leisure and communities, next week.

Work has been ongoing across the city to improve support for representatives from the Armed forces community since the council signed the Armed Forces Community Covenant in 2011.

The agreement states that no one who has ever served in the armed forces or their families should be disadvantaged because of their service.

It encourages local communities to support the armed forces and to promote activities in local venues, such as libraries, cafes and hubs, which help to integrate the armed forces community into local life.

Cllr Smalley, said: “It is particularly important that we continue to honour our commitment through the Armed Forces Covenant to improve services; offering employment and education, health and housing, and support and advice to serving members of the forces, veterans and their families.

“It’s right that the Armed Forces community should have equal access to opportunities and services.”

The further proposals to be put to Cllr Smalley include the creation of a comprehensive action plan to develop the key areas of work.

If agreed, this would include continuing to build on the existing schools’ partnership which focuses on the needs of armed forces children, providing training for council staff to raise awareness of the needs of the armed forces’ community and encouraging more organisations to sign up to the Armed Forces Covenant.

The authority has recently been awarded the Gold Award in the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme for its work to support council staff who are reservists or cadet force volunteers, as well as veterans and their spouses who apply for job interviews.

City of York Council is only the seventh employer in the whole of the Yorkshire and Humber region to have won the Gold Award.

Cllr Smalley went on to say: “I’m proud that City of York Council is leading the way in how councils support our Armed Forces community.”

The proposals will be considered in a meeting on Monday (October 21).