South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation (SYCF) has pledged its support for the armed forces.

SYCF has signed The Armed Forces Covenant - a promise that those who serve, or have served, are treated fairly in their day-to-day lives and not disadvantaged because of their military history. 

The Covenant was established to remove disadvantage and to ensure that the armed forces get the same access to services as the civilian community.

Ruth Willis, chief executive of SYCF, the region’s largest local grant giving charity, said: 

We’re proud to sign the covenant and fully commit to upholding its principles as part of our organisation’s commitment to building stronger and fairer communities.

Disadvantage and inequality were highlighted as top issues in our own Vital Signs research, and it is something we are determined to tackle through targeted interventions.

We recognise the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to the region. In signing this covenant, we pledge to be an Armed Forces-friendly organisation, from supporting national events like the Poppy Appeal to granting reserves and cadets leave for training.