Ellesmere College pledge their support to the Armed Forces
Ellesmere College, an independent co-educational school in Shropshire for students aged 7 to 18, has reaffirmed their commitment to our Armed Forces by signing the Armed Forces Covenant pledge.
Ellesmere College has a proud history of working with the Armed Forces, and by signing the Covenant they have further pledged to offer their support to local cadet units, actively participate in Armed Forces Day; Red, White & Blue Day; and the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.
Furthermore, Ellesmere College will offer a 20% discount on school fees to the sons and daughters of serving or retired members of the Armed Forces, a gesture that aims to give something back to those who have served our country.
An aim of the Armed Forces Covenant nationally has been to ensure all children of forces personnel have access to their chosen School. This can be difficult, with many Armed Forces families living a transient lifestyle. With this knowledge, through their pledge, Ellesmere College will give priority to the sons and daughters of members of the Armed Forces and those that qualify for Ministry of Defence financial assistance or are in receipt of the Armed Forces premium.
Brendan Wignall, Headmaster at Ellesmere College, said:
“We are proud to be associated with the Armed Forces and I was delighted to sign the covenant of behalf of Ellesmere, to support serving families. We have a thriving Combined Cadet Force here in the school which is an essential part of developing leadership and team building skills. Over the years many, both male and female, have gone on from the school to serve in HM Forces, and they regularly visit Ellesmere to speak at our Sixth Form lecture programme.
Tim Barker, Shropshire Councillor responsible for the Armed Forces Covenant, said:
‘‘Shropshire Council are delighted that Ellesmere College have shown commitment to further support our Armed Forces community.
“Education is one of the core priorities of the Covenant nationally, and I am delighted that Ellesmere College are showing such willingness to support our Armed Forces community, both past and present.’’
Jenny Robey, Community Fundraiser for Royal British Legion, said:
“Each year more than 350,000 poppy volunteers are needed across the country to raise much-needed funds to support current and former Armed Forces personnel, and their families. The Appeal is Royal British Legion’s main fundraising event of the year, and it is the UK’s biggest charity campaign. The charity relies heavily on its volunteer collectors and the support from Ellesmere College is invaluable.”
Charities and businesses wishing to sign up to the Covenant can get involved by visiting https://www.armedforcescovenant.gov.uk/
If you are a business owner and would like to discuss pledging your support, but don’t know how, or have a query about the Shropshire Covenant, contact david.fairclough@shropshire.gov.uk.
Further information
- For media enquiries, email communications@shropshire.gov.uk.
- For general enquiries about the Armed Forces Covenant please contact the local co-ordinator, David Fairclough at SAFCC@shropshire.gov.uk.
- To see more information about Shropshire’s Armed Forces Covenant, see the website.
