Do you have a fondness for the Forces? Are you partial to a party? If so then why not show your support for our brave Servicemen and women with an Armed Forces Day celebration?
Up to £10,000 funding is available to help event organisers put together a day of celebration for their local Armed Forces community – including current personnel, Reserves, veterans, cadets and families.
Armed Forces Day takes place on Saturday 24 June with a major national event to be held in the city of Liverpool. Celebrations will be held across the country, giving the public a chance to say “Thank You” to the Armed Forces for their contribution to the nation.
Now in its ninth year, people have shown their support in a huge variety of ways from Armed Forces Day parades, music events, street parties and even bike rallies.
Anyone who wants to can host an event, large or small, and to help them organisers can bid for up to £10,000 Ministry of Defence funding.
Scarborough Armed Forces Day Event Manager Rowena Marsden said:
Scarborough Borough Council is very pleased to have been able to host an Armed Forces Day event since the initiative started in 2009. We have developed close working relationships with our local cadet forces, regional Veteran Associations, RAF Fylingdales and the Yorkshire Regiment and have hosted many Freedom Parades for them.
The Scarborough Armed Forces Day event is looked forward to by the whole community and I know that many Veterans enjoy the day – some even make a week of it with an Association reunion.
Without the invaluable support of MOD funding we would not be able to deliver such a fantastic, fun packed day and be able to show our appreciation to the British Armed Forces – past present and future.
In 2016, more than 180 Armed Forces Day celebrations were held across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. More than 130 of these were supported with funding from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) including bids for just a few hundred pounds to help fund displays, school talks or small family fun days.
The Ministry of Defence is also inviting bids from communities to become the host of the 2018 Armed Forces Day National Event.
To find out more about funding criteria and the application process, register your event or contact the Ministry of Defence Armed Forces Day team by email at armedforcesday-events@mod.uk or by telephone on 020 7807 0970. The website, www.armedforcesday.org.uk, also contains a range of ideas to help you get the most out of your local event. Applications close on 2 March.