Source: City of Wolverhampton
It means serving personnel and veterans in the city will get special protections under the Equality Act, like those extended to other groups, including people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, sexual minorities, and religious groups.
The motion, presented by Councillor Obaida Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Community, to Full Council last night (Wednesday 16 July) sought to ‘recognise the Armed Forces Community with the same consideration and support as if they were a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010’, in the same way that children in care and care leavers have been recognised by the council.
Councillor Craig Collingswood, Mayor of Wolverhampton and Chair of the Armed Forces Covenant Partnership Board, said: “By recognising our Armed Forces community as a locally protected characteristic we are not only honouring their service, we are ensuring that our heroes have the dignity, security and support they deserve in the very country they fought to protect.
“Our Armed Forces community has sacrificed so much for us. Yet too many return to lives marked by broken education, lost job opportunities, poor health, and the struggle to find a place to call home.
“Our own assessments show that nearly 40% of veterans have a disability and 15% suffer from bad or very ill health – twice that of the regular population. These are not just challenges; they are injustices that we must address moving forward.
“As a council we already do a lot for veterans and serving personnel. We have received the Gold Award from the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, we offer concessionary membership at our WV Active sites for veterans and serving personnel, along with a guaranteed interview scheme for veterans applying for council jobs and priority in social housing allocations through Wolverhampton Homes. As a city, we also run a full programme of commemorative events throughout the year.
“But we want to do more; recognising them as a protected characteristic means we will include members of the Armed Forces community in Equality Impact Assessments, ensure their needs are considered in all policy and decision making and encourage co-production and collaboration with the community and stakeholders. We will also be calling on partner organisations across the city to do the same.”
Councillor Ahmed added: “I am proud that my fellow councillors have supported a motion that speaks to the heart of who we are as a city – compassionate, inclusive, and committed to standing by those who have served our country.
“We know that service life can bring real hardship – frequent moves, disrupted education for children, difficulties accessing healthcare, and barriers to employment.
“By recognising this community as a protected group locally, we’re saying: your service matters, and so does your wellbeing. And, as a council, we will be embedding this commitment into how we design services, how we make decisions, and how we listen.”
As lead for the Armed Forces Covenant Partnership Board for the city, the council co-ordinates support for the Armed Forces community across Wolverhampton.
The council welcomes veterans and the wider Armed Forces community into the organisation and offers a range of supportive policies such as guaranteed interview schemes for veterans applying for job vacancies and an allowance of up to 24 days’ paid leave for reservists and adult cadet force volunteers. For details of current employment opportunities, please visit WM Jobs.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces veterans in Wolverhampton can enjoy free bus travel and discounted rail travel. Travel for West Midlands is running an incentive scheme in collaboration with local bus operators enabling unlimited free travel on all buses, all day, in the Network West Midlands area for up to six months. To find out more, please email wolves.afd@wolverhampton.gov.uk.
A Veterans Railcard is also available, offering discounts on rail travel in England, Wales, and Scotland. For further information please visit Veterans Railcard.
For more information about the Armed Forces Covenant, and the help and support that is available to members of the Armed Forces community in Wolverhampton, please visit Wolverhampton Armed Forces.