Armed forces information

Bolton Council's Silver Award

Bolton Council as an employer has been awarded Silver accreditation under the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme for our support to Defence and the wider Armed Forces community and hopes to achieve the Gold Award in 2025.

Bolton Council's ongoing commitment to achieve Gold Award.

Bolton Council is striving for the Gold award and there is lots of work ongoing to support our Armed Forces Community.

Our employment policies and procedures support and advocate the employment of veterans and reservists, whilst also supporting their families.

We offer work experience and training opportunities to cadets and are seeking to increase the number of Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and Reservists in our workforce.

As part of our work in moving towards Gold Award status, we are proud to be developing our support to other organisations who are interested in finding out more about the covenant and the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and the many benefits to becoming an Armed Forces friendly organisation.

The Covenant is free, and all organisations have the flexibility to tailor their pledge to meet their own organisational needs. The overarching notion is that no member of the Defence community should be disadvantaged in their civilian employment.

About the Employer Recognition Scheme

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. The Covenant is a national responsibility involving government, businesses, local authorities, charities, and the public.

The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme serves to recognise and reward employers for their support to Reservists, Service Leavers and their families, Cadets, and Cadet Volunteers. We believe the leadership and technical skills that military personnel develop during their service, such as problem-solving and working under pressure, prepare them for working within organisations such as Bolton Council, and we are proud to count them amongst our employees.

The scheme is split into three different levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold)

• Bronze - awarded to employers who state their intent to support the Armed Forces Community.
• Silver - awarded to employers who show their support to the Armed Forces Community.
• Gold - awarded to employers who advocate for the support of the Armed Forces Community. 

Want to know more?

If you are an employer and are interested in finding out more about the Armed Forces Covenant, Bolton Council can help! Please contact hrcorporate@bolton.gov.uk and we’ll be happy to support you through the process.

 If you are a Veteran, Reservist, Cadet or Cadet Force Adult Volunteer we’d love to chat to you about the employment opportunities Bolton Council has available. Please contact us at hrcorporate@bolton.gov.uk.

The Bolton Guild of Help

Support is also available from The Bolton Guild of Help which has been assisting veterans since 1905.  The Guild has offered a wide range of support for veterans including food packages, help with rent arrears, provision of white goods and advice on energy costs.

It also runs a Veterans' Support drop-In centre at the Bridge Café in Bradford Street.  The sessions provide a relaxed social environment to ask for any help required.  The drop-in sessions take place every other Thursday between 10:30am and 12:30pm.

For more information please contact the Guild on 01204 524858 (Monday to Wednesday 9.30am - 2.30pm), or by e-mailing info@boltonguildofhelp.org.uk.

Local support

Local Support is available in the One Stop Shop which is open from 08:45 until 16:30 Mon - Friday. Support by appointment only, please call 01204 333333.

National support

The Veterans' Gateway provides information about many of the charities available to veterans.

Find out more about the Veterans' Gateway

NHS

See the NHS Armed Forces offer

NHS Covenant

Armed forces champions