The University of Winchester has received an award in recognition of its support for the armed forces community and their families.
The Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Bronze Award is given to organisations whose values are in line with the Armed Forces Covenant and which support those men and women who serve, or have served, in the armed forces and their families. Bronze award holders actively promote being armed forces-friendly and are open to employing reservists, armed forces veterans - including the wounded, injured and sick - cadet instructors and military spouses/partners.
"The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation that those who serve, or have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly. Guided by our mission to educate, to advance knowledge and to serve the common good, the University signed the Covenant in 2016 to demonstrate our commitment to supporting military personnel, families and veterans," said Colette Fletcher, Assistant Vice-Chancellor at the University of Winchester. "This Bronze Award recognises our success in the various initiatives we have launched."
Winchester leads a number of initiatives to support military families. It works to raise aspirations and support the progression of military service children into further and higher education through its widening participation activities. Following research undertaken at the University, funded by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), a bank of free resources is available to support schools, colleges and universities to improve practice and outcomes for military service families. The University also leads and hosts the Service Children's Progression Alliance (SCiP Alliance) which is also funded by the MoD and was launched in June this year.
The University is also a member of the Universities in Support of Wounded, Injured and Sick Service Personnel (UNSWIS) network, offering work experience, taster sessions and advisory visits.
In 2016, the University welcomed its first cohort of students funded under Heritage for Heroes, a pioneering joint initiative established in partnership with the charity Help for Heroes. A small group of wounded, injured and sick serving personnel and veterans have enrolled on undergraduate degree courses in archaeology. The Heritage for Heroes initiative aims to help these former service personnel develop new skills as they recover from injuries and illnesses and transition from the military into civilian careers.