Aldershot Town have been given The Armed Forces Covenant Silver Award which will be presented to us in our National League fixture at home to Maidstone United on Tuesday.
The award will be presented to the club by Lieutenant General Nick Pope, CBE, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the British Army.
The Armed Forces Covenant, established in June 2013, is a promise between the nation, government and the Armed Forces to treat serving personnel, veterans and their families with fairness and respect in the communities, economies and societies they serve with their lives.
To those who proudly protect our nation, who do so with honour, courage and commitment, the Armed Forces Covenant is the nation’s commitment to you.
Companies, charities and local authorities can sign the Armed Forces Covenant and make their own promise to support the Forces in ways of their choosing. Over 1500 companies have now publicly pledged their support to the armed forces community by signing the Covenant.
The Shots were the first football club to sign up to the covenant in 2014 and will become the first football club ever to receive the Silver Award, famously leading all 68-member clubs of the National League to sign the pledge back in 2015 at a ceremony in the Wellington Conference Room on Horse Guard’s Parade in London.
Shots chairman Shahid Azeem had this to say on the club earning this prestigious award: “We are extremely proud of our link to Armed Forces personnel and their families, but particularly proud of our links to the British Army, particularly with Aldershot being home of the British Army.”
The covenant provides support in a number of areas including family well-being, education, housing, careers, healthcare, financial assistance and discounted services.
We would also like to welcome Army FA Vice-Chairman Major Billy Thomson, Army FA Assistant Secretary Graham Brookland, Lieutenant-Colonel Nigel MacGregor and his wife Debra, Major-General Tom Copinger-Symes, Aldershot Garrison Commander Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Baines, Mayor of Rushmoor Steve Masterson and Rushmoor Councillor Jacqui Vosper to the game.
