|
Metro Mayor keeps his armed forces
pledge
METRO Mayor Steve Rotheram has
formally signed the Liverpool City Region Armed Forces Community Covenant at an
event hosted by the reserves unit, 238 Squadron, 156 Transport Regiment, Royal
Logistics Corps in Bootle.
The signing ceremony at the Pelham Drive base of 238 Squadron was attended by
representatives from the 3 military services, armed forces voluntary
organisations, the local Councils, and reservist soldiers from the unit.
Metro Mayor Rotheram said:- "The Liverpool City Region has long been an
important source of recruitment for the armed forces, so this is an issue that
touches many families and reaches deep into every community. Therefore, I wasn't
signing the Covenant solely as Metro Mayor or just on behalf of the Liverpool
City Region Combined Authority, but on behalf of each and every 1 of the 1.5
million people I am elected to represent.
The support for the Armed Forces Community Covenant locally reflects the strong
armed forces tradition here. That's why Liverpool hosted this year's national
Armed Forces Day and why our annual Remembrance Service is the largest outside
London."
Mr Rotheram continued:- "Only last week, we remembered the heroism of Noel Chavasse during the 1st World War whilst serving with the King's (Liverpool
Regiment) - one of only 3 people to be awarded a Victoria Cross twice. Then
there is the largely unsung, but vital role the City Region played in defeating
Hitler's U-boats and winning the Battle of the Atlantic during World War 2. This extraordinary record of commitment and sacrifice has continued through
to modern conflicts, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan."
The event marked the fulfilment of a key manifesto pledge by the Metro Mayor,
and 156 Regiment Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Tim Gould congratulated
him at the event for being "a man of his word."
The version of the Covenant agreed for the Liverpool City Region provides for an
Armed Forces Champion to be appointed on a City Region basis, and for the
publication of an annual stocktake of work on the Covenant, drawing together
what has been and will be done to support former and serving members of the
armed forces, and their families.
|
