Manchester to pay tribute to the outstanding contribution of the nation’s Armed Forces next week.
This year, Armed Forces Week will take place between 19 June and 25 June. To mark the beginning of Armed Forces Week, the Armed Forces flag will be raised on top of Central Library at 10:30am on 19 June and there will also be an Armed Forces family fun day towards the end of the week.
The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Yasmine Dar, will attend the flag raising ceremony on Monday 19 June accompanied by representatives from each of the Armed Forces – Army, Royal Navy and RAF, Mr Carl Austin-Behan OBE DL representing the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Paul Marshall, the Armed Forces Champion for Manchester City Council’s Senior Management Team, Joe Larrigan, RBL County Chairman for Greater Manchester and a fanfare from the 103RA LAV Band.
On Armed Forces Day, Saturday 24 June there will be an Armed Forces family fun day in St Peter’s Square from 11am until 4pm.
The council invites members of the public and families to come along to the afternoon of fun, enjoy the activities and honour the members of the Armed Forces and veterans for their dedication and service.
To start off Saturday’s celebrations, formal ceremonies will begin at 11:30 am with a ceremonial march past through St Peter’s Square. This will be attended by the Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Yasmine Dar with Lisa Kit Yee Yam DL representing the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester. The Lancashire Artillery Band will accompany the march past and continue to perform throughout the day.
This year, the council will have a team present to promote its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant. They will be on hand to guide armed forces personal and veterans on how to access services.
After the formal celebrations, members of the public and families will be invited to get involved and have some fun. There will be face painting for young ones, a light gun on display, information stalls supporting Armed Forces including the British Royal Legion and, attendees will also be given the unique opportunity to get their hands on with current and historical military kit.
In addition to the family fun, there will be live performances for all to enjoy throughout the afternoon. The Lancashire Artillery Volunteers Band will be performing, as well as a selection of local singers.