Armed Forces Day is a new national day in Britain that will be celebrated every year on 27th June.
It is a chance for the British people to show their gratitude to the Armed Forces.
Events already planned range from huge military parades in cities to flag raising ceremonies and fetes in towns and villages.
Armed Forces day to be celebrated with hundreds of events around country
By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent
17 Jan 2009
The Telegraph
Britain's first Armed Forces Day will be marked by up to 200 separate events across the country.
The Sunday Telegraph's campaign was launched in March last year Photo: GETTY
The idea for a special day to commemorate the military was taken up by Quentin Davies MP Photo: TONY BUCKINGHAM
Events already planned range from huge military parades in cities to flag raising ceremonies and fetes in towns and villages.
The government said Armed Forces Day, which is being held on Saturday 27th June, was a chance for the whole country to show its gratitude for the men and women who have served and are still serving in the military.
This summer's event was launched after a high-profile campaign by The Sunday Telegraph which was backed by Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the head of the armed forces, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, many retired defence chiefs and service charities, and thousands of readers.
The Ministry of Defence said that the theme of the first Armed Forces Day will be "Honouring Britain's Armed Forces: Past Present and Future".
Six major cities throughout the United Kingdom have spent the last few months submitting bids to the government in the hope that they will be chosen to host the main ceremonies, with the winner being announced on Thursday.
The host city will hold a parade in which troops, cadets and veterans will march through the town centre accompanied by a military band.
Following a "drum head service" (an open air church service in which drums are used as an altar), a reception will be held in the local civic centre hosted by the mayor and attended by senior military figures and government ministers.
The Blades Aerobatic display team will also be appearing. It is hoped that a member of the royal family will also attend.
Veterans Minister Kevan Jones, who is responsible for ensuring that the first Armed Forces Day is a national success, said the event would provide a way for the country to say "thank you".
He said: "Being a member of the armed forces is being part of something that is a force for good in society and the creation of an Armed Forces Day helps to reinforce that message.
"I have been to Afghanistan and Iraq many times and the quality of our young people never ceases to amaze me. They are very young and carry huge responsibility and we should be rightly proud of them.
"In the build up to the event we are hoping that towns and communities to come to us with their ideas, we want them to tell us how they want to celebrate and we have some funding to help them.
"This is the first year so this is something that we will build on every year.
"We recognise the success of The Sunday Telegraph campaign and now we would like your readers to go one step further and encourage their local councils to take part, if they are members of service charities they should be asking what they will do on the day. I would like schools to get involved as well.
"The government is fully committed to ensuring that the day is a success and something that we can build on.
"There is no community too small not to put on some type of event on in recognition of the armed forces. The message is simple – it's thank you."
The Sunday Telegraph's campaign was launched in March last year after members of an RAF base in Peterborough were verbally abuse and threatened for wearing their uniforms in public.
An ICM opinion poll conducted for the paper revealed that almost 80 per cent of the population supported the call for an Armed Forces Day. A further 90 per cent supported the idea that troops should be encouraged to wear uniforms in public.
Following the success of the campaign, the idea for a special day to commemorate the military was taken up by Quentin Davies MP, the head of the National Recognition Study team, a body created to raise the public awareness of the role of the armed forces.
telegraph.co.uk
It is a chance for the British people to show their gratitude to the Armed Forces.
Events already planned range from huge military parades in cities to flag raising ceremonies and fetes in towns and villages.
Armed Forces day to be celebrated with hundreds of events around country
By Sean Rayment, Defence Correspondent
17 Jan 2009
The Telegraph
Britain's first Armed Forces Day will be marked by up to 200 separate events across the country.
The Sunday Telegraph's campaign was launched in March last year Photo: GETTY
The idea for a special day to commemorate the military was taken up by Quentin Davies MP Photo: TONY BUCKINGHAM
Events already planned range from huge military parades in cities to flag raising ceremonies and fetes in towns and villages.
The government said Armed Forces Day, which is being held on Saturday 27th June, was a chance for the whole country to show its gratitude for the men and women who have served and are still serving in the military.
This summer's event was launched after a high-profile campaign by The Sunday Telegraph which was backed by Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the head of the armed forces, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, many retired defence chiefs and service charities, and thousands of readers.
The Ministry of Defence said that the theme of the first Armed Forces Day will be "Honouring Britain's Armed Forces: Past Present and Future".
Six major cities throughout the United Kingdom have spent the last few months submitting bids to the government in the hope that they will be chosen to host the main ceremonies, with the winner being announced on Thursday.
The host city will hold a parade in which troops, cadets and veterans will march through the town centre accompanied by a military band.
Following a "drum head service" (an open air church service in which drums are used as an altar), a reception will be held in the local civic centre hosted by the mayor and attended by senior military figures and government ministers.
The Blades Aerobatic display team will also be appearing. It is hoped that a member of the royal family will also attend.
Veterans Minister Kevan Jones, who is responsible for ensuring that the first Armed Forces Day is a national success, said the event would provide a way for the country to say "thank you".
He said: "Being a member of the armed forces is being part of something that is a force for good in society and the creation of an Armed Forces Day helps to reinforce that message.
"I have been to Afghanistan and Iraq many times and the quality of our young people never ceases to amaze me. They are very young and carry huge responsibility and we should be rightly proud of them.
"In the build up to the event we are hoping that towns and communities to come to us with their ideas, we want them to tell us how they want to celebrate and we have some funding to help them.
"This is the first year so this is something that we will build on every year.
"We recognise the success of The Sunday Telegraph campaign and now we would like your readers to go one step further and encourage their local councils to take part, if they are members of service charities they should be asking what they will do on the day. I would like schools to get involved as well.
"The government is fully committed to ensuring that the day is a success and something that we can build on.
"There is no community too small not to put on some type of event on in recognition of the armed forces. The message is simple – it's thank you."
The Sunday Telegraph's campaign was launched in March last year after members of an RAF base in Peterborough were verbally abuse and threatened for wearing their uniforms in public.
An ICM opinion poll conducted for the paper revealed that almost 80 per cent of the population supported the call for an Armed Forces Day. A further 90 per cent supported the idea that troops should be encouraged to wear uniforms in public.
Following the success of the campaign, the idea for a special day to commemorate the military was taken up by Quentin Davies MP, the head of the National Recognition Study team, a body created to raise the public awareness of the role of the armed forces.
telegraph.co.uk
