Armed forces pledged council support in week of tributes

20 June 2011

Armed forces heroes will be honoured in a week-long series of events across the country as councils renew their pledge to prioritise support for servicemen and women.

Parades, flag-raising ceremonies and fresh offers of support from local authorities will be made in the run-up to national Armed Forces Day on Saturday, June 25.

Last month, the Local Government Association revealed many councils had reviewed their housing allocation policies to ensure that brave servicemen and women could be fast-tracked to the top of the waiting list once they leave the military.

The first wave of councils will now start signing up to the Government's Community Covenant in the days leading up to Armed Forces Day. The Community Covenant is a voluntary statement of mutual support between a civilian community and its local armed forces community and is intended to complement the Armed Forces Covenant – the Government's own pledge of support.

Public signing ceremonies will take place in Oxfordshire (June 20), the Vale of Glamorgan (June 23), Hampshire (June 23)and North Yorkshire (June 30).

On Monday, local authorities across the country will be joining together in a universal display of support for the armed forces. Dignitaries and veterans in towns and cities across the country will be staging public flag-raising ceremonies to usher in a week of tributes to the military. The armed forces flag will be proudly flying above council buildings throughout the week

Some of the events being put on by councils in tribute to the bravery of British troops include:

• Dudley town centre will take a trip back to the 1940s on Saturday (June 25), with a street party featuring military vehicles, memorabilia, a marching band and singers belting out wartime hits.
• In addition to veterans' parades, a flypast of military aircraft over Sleaford, in North Kesteven will take place on Saturday as part of a week of events organised by the district council alongside the RAF.
• The Royal Artillery Black Knights parachute team and a Battle of Britain memorial Spitfire will be putting on displays as part of Armed Forces Day celebrations co-organised by Buckinghamshire County Council on Saturday. The event in Aylesbury will also feature a performance by the boy band Blue.
• In Leicestershire, 92-year-old Second World War veteran and Distinguished Conduct Medal winner John Sheppard will be raising the Armed Forces flag above the county council offices on Monday, starting a week of tributes which will culminate in a veterans' parade through the city centre and service at Leicester Cathedral on Saturday.
• A week of collections and fund-raising events in Stockton-on-Tees will include a shoebox appeal for troops and a charity duck race to raise money for armed forces charities including the Royal British Legion, The Rifles, Care for Casualties and The Yorkshire Regiment Benevolent Trust.

Baroness Margaret Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association which represents more than 350 councils in England and Wales, said:

“Councils have organised events this week so that the whole nation can salute the invaluable contribution that members of the armed forces have made.

“These heroic servicemen and women have put their lives on the line for their country, and along with their families, have made some of the biggest sacrifices imaginable.

“For local authorities the support we offer our troops and veterans runs all year round, whether it be providing housing and assistance to injured soldiers or equipping them with new skills to find work once they retire from the military.

"With conflicts ongoing in Libya and Afghanistan, it is just as important as ever to show Britain's brave troops our support.”

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