The Mayor of Waverley, Councillor John Ward, showed his support for the military community as the Armed Forces Day Flag was raised outside the council offices in Godalming, in celebration of Armed Forces Day which takes place on Saturday 25 June. The Mayor was joined by Corporal Sion Hughes, representing the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, councillors and officers of the council.
The work of our armed forces is vital to the defence of the UK, with thousands of personnel working across the globe in a range of deployments promoting peace, delivering aid, tackling drug smuggling, providing security and fighting terrorism. During the Covid-19 pandemic in Surrey, the armed forces set up food distribution hubs for the vulnerable and provided critical support to the NHS, distributing PPE, setting up mobile testing stations, temporary mortuaries and mass vaccination centres and providing emergency staff to both Royal Surrey and Frimley Park Hospitals.
Armed Forces Day is an opportunity for people to show their appreciation of the work done by the men and women of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, including those currently serving, service families, cadets, reservists and veterans. Each year events are held across the country and the organisers encourage everyone to get involved by flying the flag, joining in on Facebook or Twitter and using the hashtag #SaluteOurForces.
The Mayor said: “I am delighted to be able to raise the Armed Forces Day Flag as a clear, unambiguous symbol of our support for our Armed Forces personnel. Many of my generation expected never again to find ourselves facing the spectre of war in Europe. In these difficult times, I think it is more important than ever to recognise the fantastic and selfless work the UK Armed Forces do to make the world safer for us – and to provide them a much-needed morale boost by showing our support for them and their families.
“Right now, our service men and women are busy working around the world, promoting peace, delivering aid, tackling drug smugglers, providing security and fighting terrorism. Let’s show them how much they are appreciated by celebrating this Armed Forces Day and if you can, by making a donation to a charity that supports our troops, veterans or their families”.
Armed Forces Day will take place on Saturday 25 June 2022. To find out more and check for events in your area visit: www.armedforcesday.org.uk/
A directory of charities that support the services is available at: https://www.gov.uk/donations-to-support-members-of-the-armed-forces
Picture caption: (From left to right) the Mayor of Waverley, Councillor John Ward, Andrew Smith (Head of Housing Delivery and Communities), Corporal Sion Hughes of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment.