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Norfolk and the Armed Forces Appendix 1 Norfolk Armed Forces Community Covenant Strategy and Action Plan 2017-19 The Covenant is a promise from the nation ensuring that those who serve and have served in the Armed Forces and their families are treated fairly. Ministry of Defence 1 Why Norfolk is home to both current and ex-serving men and women and their families from across the Armed Forces. These men, women and their families form an important part of Norfolk’s community, bringing with them skills and a contribution that is unique and valuable. In 2011, the Government formed the Armed Forces Community Covenant, a commitment to all those who serve and their families that they will not be disadvantaged because of their service. This strategy and action plan have been developed with this in mind, demonstrating Norfolk’s commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community who live and work in the county through a series of activities that Norfolk’s Armed Forces Community Covenant Board believes will make a difference. The plan recognises not only the serving community but also a commitment to improving the support available to the families of serving personnel as well as any ex-service men and women who decide to settle here permanently. How The Norfolk Armed Forces Community Covenant (NAFCC) is a partnership which includes representatives from the current serving population, relevant charities and organisations who work with the Armed Forces, district councils and Norfolk County Council. The Board which manages the Covenant meets formally twice a year. In January 2017, the Board also introduced a series of workshops, from which this action plan has been developed, using intelligence from the National Armed Forces Covenant, the serving community and local knowledge to determine priority areas. The plan is designed to deliver against the three national priorities: • Building Communities • Health, Welfare and Housing • Education, Employment and Skills A separate section at the back of the action plan identifies the activities that the Board will be undertaking to improve their day to day working and effectiveness. 2 Grant funding In addition to the activities contained within this plan the Covenant Board is able to support local projects through grant funding. Each funding bid is assessed against two main criteria - its contribution towards the Board’s priorities and the benefit it will bring to the serving or veteran community. The Board can also choose to support initiatives directly that have not sought funding. For more information on funding please contact the Norfolk Armed Forces Covenant at [email protected] Norfolk and the Armed Forces Norfolk has operational bases at RAF Marham and Robertson Barracks (Swanton Morley), an intensive Army training ground, STANTA in Breckland and RRH Neatishead a remote Unit based to the North-East of Norwich. Across Norfolk, at the time of writing, the serving population was 2,850 of whom 2,480 were military and 370 were civilians. RAF Marham celebrated its centenary in 2016 and has secured its future through the MOD and Government placement of the Lightning II Jet at the base (this will replace the Tornado Force from 2018). Introduction of the Lightning is supporting 20,000 UK jobs and a £300M infrastructure investment at the base. RAF Marham has 2,350 serving personnel, of whom 2,060 are military and the remaining 290 are civilians. The base has a broad population of almost 10,000 people made up of members of all three Services, the Civil Service, industry, contractors and families. Service family accommodation largely sits ‘outside the wire’ making it easier to engage with the local community. Robertson Barracks at Swanton Morley (formerly RAF Swanton Morley which was taken over by the Army in 1995) is currently home to the 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards (a Welsh regiment also referred to as the QDGs). The base has 400 serving personnel, of whom 380 are military and 20 civilians. In 2015 after 15 years, the former residents, The Light Dragoons (also known as the Northern Calvary) left the Barracks and moved to Yorkshire, as part of the Army’s rebasing plan. The 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards took up residence at the Base after returning from Germany. All of the service family accommodation for the base is ‘inside the wire’, providing fewer chances for the local community to engage with the base outside of formal engagement events. In November 2016, the MOD announced plans to close Swanton Morley Barracks in 2031. STANTA is a training facility owned by the Ministry of Defence, controlled by the British Army and run by the Operational Training and Advisory Group (OPTAG). The site is closed to members of the public and has been used since 1942 to train military personnel for combat. RRH Neatishead is a remote unit based to the North-East of Norwich. The unit's mission is to provide radar, ground-to-air radio and data links coverage as part of the UK Air Surveillance and Control System (ASACS), in support of national and NATO air defence. 3 The Royal Navy currently only has a small presence in Norfolk, however, this will grow with the introduction of the Lightning II at RAF Marham when joint RAF and Royal Navy personnel will maintain and operate at the base. The 3rd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment (The Steelbacks) is an Army Reserve Infantry Battalion. It is one of the most operationally experienced units within the Army Reserve, with soldiers having deployed on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Cyprus (UN) and in support of the Olympic Games over recent years. The Battalion also plays a role in National Defence and providing aid to civilian authorities. Service Family Context At the time of publishing this strategy and action plan, there were around 1000 children from military families in education in Norfolk, ranging from early years through to key stage 4 (up to 16yrs old). The nature of military life means that these numbers can change frequently as families move to new assignments which provides a challenge for schools, as military families new to the area have to compete for school places against the existing community. Providing consistency in a young person’s education can be difficult, especially where a family has moved frequently, sometimes from other countries. However, statistics show that generally children from Service families perform well in Norfolk. Nationally, some spouses experience testing times as a result of military life. These can be linked to the effects of moving frequently and their effective single parent status while their partner is away on active duty. Gaining employment can be difficult as some employers will be reluctant to take on individuals who are only able to commit to short term and whom may have other restrictions such as lack of transport. Nationally, this is recognised as a problem as many spouses are left with very few opportunities which not only puts a strain on family finances but can also put additional pressure on relationships. This can be compounded for military families who are normally stationed away from their natural support network, such as family and friends and in a rural county such as Norfolk this can lead to a sense of isolation outside the military family. Veteran Context Across the country, there remains an issue determining the size and location of the veteran community. Reliable statistics do not exist as many individuals either do not wish to identify themselves as having served, move frequently or are homeless. The latest MOD figures estimate 49,000 veterans residing in Norfolk but an estimation by the Royal British Legion puts figures as more like 90,000+ (2011 Census data). As a result of this uncertainty the Royal British Legion has launched a campaign to include a question within the next census which should help to identify veterans. Despite uncertainty over exact numbers, veterans can suffer from a number of challenges as a direct result of their service. Wider society’s interpretation of a ‘veteran’ and the problems they might face is, in itself, an issue as it is important to remember that a ‘veteran’ is anyone who 4 has served a day or more in the armed forces. This can mean that some veterans, (so called early leavers), can be among the most vulnerable members of society, without employment or accommodation. Finding employment can be difficult for any veteran as life outside the armed forces can be complicated to navigate and individuals can even be exposed to prejudice. However, veterans can also find transition to civilian life rewarding, using the skills they have learnt through their service to build a new career. Charity Context There are a plethora of military charities in Norfolk, representing both large, national organisations and smaller local specialists. All of them bring a wealth of expertise and are committed to helping those who are serving/have served and their families. However, the number of charities can sometimes appear daunting to individuals looking for assistance and the NAFCC recognises that there is a need to work together to help them find the most appropriate help and support at a time that is right for them. Cadets The Norfolk Army Cadet force is home to over 750 cadets and 140 adult volunteers in 26 detachments. Detachments are organised into three sub units as follows: Britannia Company which covers the North Norfolk area, has eight detachments and a Company Headquarters at Dereham. The Cadet Norfolk Artillery (Crosskill’s) Battery covers the East of the county, has nine detachments and a Battery Headquarters at the Aylsham Road TA Centre in Norwich. The Cadet Norfolk Engineer Squadron with nine detachments looks after the South and West of the county.
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