Hundreds of residents are expected to come together for a free, patriotic celebration for Armed Forces Day later this month.
Medway’s 13th Armed Forces Day celebration will take place on Saturday, 25 June, at The Great Lines Heritage Park, Gillingham, from 11am to 5pm.
This year’s event will recognise the 40th Anniversary of the Falklands, which holds great significance to Medway and The Historic Dockyard Chatham. The event is also being held as part of Medway’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, in recognition of Her Majesty The Queen’s 70-year reign.
There will be fun for the whole family at this year’s event with a military parade, fun fair, helicopters on display, bandstand concerts, a climbing tower with the Kent Army Cadets and much more.
Residents will also be able to try their hand at Royal Engineer activities including obstacle courses, digger driving, mini-bridge building and bricklaying, alongside a military bridge building display.
We, along with sponsors Taylor Wimpey and BAE Systems, are encouraging residents to turn out to show their support for military personnel and have-a-go at the variety of activities, whilst learning about the importance of our armed forces.
Proud of Medway's rich military history
Cllr Howard Doe, Deputy Leader at Medway Council and Armed Forces Champion, said: “I am pleased that we will be celebrating Armed Forces Day as a community this year, with family-friendly activities including a performance by the band of The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment.
“We are very proud of Medway’s rich military history and connections with our armed forces, and we will celebrate this day to show our support for the Armed Forces community including serving troops, service families, veterans, and cadets.
“We will continue to work closely with local military units to raise awareness of the challenges faced by the armed forces. I’m pleased that our celebration includes activities for residents of all ages, as part of Medway’s aspiration to become even more child-friendly.”
Recognise the efforts of the Armed Forces Community
Richard Ryan, Legal Counsel for BAE Systems at Rochester, and a serving reservist for the British Army said: “Our Armed Forces do an incredible job every single day of the year, always putting the needs of others first. It’s an honour to support this celebration and bring together thousands of people to recognise the efforts of everyone within the Armed Forces community.”
Joining the community to celebrate
Jason Stokes, Sales and Marketing Director for Taylor Wimpey South East, said: “We are proud to be supporting this event and joining the community in celebrating the work of serving men and women and honouring that of veterans. We hope everyone has a great time.”
Armed Forces Day flags will be raised at Gun Wharf in Chatham on Monday, 20 June in recognition of the Armed Forces’ hard work, dedication, and efforts to keep us safe.
We signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2017 which focuses on ensuring services are provided to members of the armed forces community, from education and family well-being to advice on starting a new career.
Supported by funding from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, we have recently worked to create an Armed Forces Veterans Hub where veterans and their families meet others and access a range of support available as well as activities which will be decided by attendees.