Armed Forces Week 2026 statement
Joint statement for Armed Forces Week from the Council Chair, Julian Kirk, and the Armed Forces Commissioner for Norfolk, Andrew Taylor
Norfolk has a proud military heritage and is honoured to be home to the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force at RAF Marham, the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards at Robertson Barracks in Swanton Morley, and 1 Company of the 3rd Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment Reserve. The county also serves as a temporary base for military units from across the country at the Ministry of Defence training area, STANTA, near Thetford.
Chair of the Council, Cllr Julian Kirk, said: "As we mark Armed Forces Week, we don't just observe a date on the calendar, but we pause as a grateful nation and pay tribute to the finest among us: the men and women of our armed forces past and present."
As lead partner of the Norfolk Armed Forces Covenant Board, the Council works with key agencies to champion the armed forces community, encourage organisations to support veterans and service leavers into employment, and help remove disadvantage for serving personnel, veterans and their families when accessing public services.
The Covenant Board's three-year programme of work currently focuses on supporting Norfolk's 40,000 veterans. The Board has worked with providers to help identify veterans in care settings, understand any additional needs they may have, and connect them with appropriate charities and organisations for support. It has also worked with Royal Star and Garter to promote their Veteran Friendly Framework, which gives providers the tools needed to identifying veterans in care homes and to address social isolation for members of the community. In addition, the Board has held a number of events to improve understanding of how social housing is allocated for service leavers and veterans, and for the organisations that support them. In March of 2026 the Board held a very successful collaboration event at the Nest. This event brought together over 100 people representing around 60 different organisations. The Board are planning a further event next year to further strengthen ties between the VCSE sector for the benefit of the armed forces community in Norfolk.
Speaking as Chair of the Norfolk Armed Forces Covenant Board, the Armed Forces Commissioner for Norfolk, Andrew Taylor, said: "I would like to thank the Council for the support it gives to the armed forces community across Norfolk through its employment practices, the services it provides, and its stewardship of the Covenant Board."
