University formalises commitments to support serving personnel, veterans, reservists and their families.

Royal Holloway has become a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant: the national commitment through which organisations pledge to ensure members of the Armed Forces community are treated with fairness, respect and understanding.  

The Armed Forces Covenant is an agreement between the Armed Forces and the nation, built on the principle that those who serve or have served, should face no disadvantage in accessing services, employment or education, and that the families who support them should be recognised and assisted where appropriate. 

As a sector-wide commitment championed by Universities UK, the Covenant aligns closely with Royal Holloway’s ambitions and values as a University of social purpose. 

Royal Holloway has agreed on a series of pledges that set out how the Covenant will be embedded across the University. 

These include promoting the University as an Armed Forces-friendly organisation; supporting veteran employment through the Career Transition Partnership; and recognising military skills and qualifications within recruitment processes. 

The University will also continue to support reservists through additional leave for training and deployment, alongside flexible arrangements for service parents, spouses and partners during periods of operational deployment. 

Further commitments strengthen support for students and prospective learners from the Armed Forces community. 

Through partnership working with schools, further education colleges and outreach providers, the University will help ensure that service children are supported in progressing into higher education. 

Many of the pledges build on ongoing activities, and have been designed to integrate smoothly with Royal Holloway’s existing policies. 

Each has been reviewed by operational leads to ensure it can be delivered sustainably and in a way that supports students, colleagues and the wider community. 

The signing of the Covenant solidifies Royal Holloway’s support for the Armed Forces community; ensuring that all those who serve, or have served, are able to thrive as part of the University.