Armed Forces Week takes places from 22nd to 28th June, and there will be lots of ways for people, communities and organisations to get involved and show their support and appreciation for the Armed Forces community.
This community includes currently serving personnel, reservists, cadets, veterans and their families. Armed Forces Week provides an opportunity to pay tribute to their hard work, dedication and efforts to and keep us safe in the UK and across the globe.
Armed Forces Week includes Reserves Day on Wednesday 24th June, which is dedicated to recognising the invaluable contributions made by Reservists. Saturday 27th June is Armed Forces Day, which will be celebrated at a number of special events taking place across the country.
You can you use this interactive map to find Armed Forces Week events near you. Please contact the individual event organisers using the contact details provided for further information on specific events.
A number of events will be taking place in the East Anglia region, including:
- Suffolk Armed Forces Day at Stowmarket Recreation Ground on Saturday 27th June, 11am to 3pm. Featuring military displays, live entertainment, stalls and children’s activities.
- Norwich City Community Sports Foundation Armed Forces Day on Saturday 27th June, 10.30am to 4.30pm. Featuring a parade, military vehicles displays, games and activities.
- Bishop’s Stortford Armed Forces Day in Castle Park on Saturday 27th June, 1.30pm to 4.30pm. Organised by the Royal British Legion Bishop’s Stortford Branch, featuring a short service of thanksgiving at 2pm, military themed stands and displays.
- Maldon Armed Forces Day in Promenade Park on Sunday 28th June, 10am to 3pm. Attended by members of the Armed Forces, veterans and cadets, and featuring historic military vehicles, living history, music and 40s dancing.
- Bedford Armed Forces Day on Sunday 28th June, 10am to 4pm, including a Public parade through the town arriving in the town square, military charity stands, vehicle displays, live entertainment and civic ceremonies.
You can also join the conversation online and show how you are celebrating Armed Forces Week on social media using the hashtag #SaluteOurForces. There are lots of resources available to download include images, logos and social media graphics from the Armed Forces Day website.
Reserves Day was created to highlight and recognise the valuable contribution Reservists make to our Armed Forces. The Reserve Forces make up approximately one sixth of our Armed Forces personnel and as such are integral to protecting the nation’s security at home and overseas.
Reservists dedicate their spare time to training in the Reserve Forces while balancing day jobs and family life with a military career, to be ready to serve should their country need them. They come from all walks of life, backgrounds and professions. Reservists attend training on a part-time basis, usually during evenings and weekends at a dedicated training centre, and for around two weeks each year at an Annual Camp which runs in another part of the UK or abroad.
There are 14 Army Reserve Centres in East Anglia, plus one Royal Naval Reserve unit, one Royal Marine Reserve unit, and four RAF Reserves unit locations. There are 41 different units (which might instead be called squadrons, troops, flights, detachments or platoons) based in East Anglia. See them on our map.
There are roughly 2,500 reservists training in the six counties of our region, with some people living in East Anglia but travelling outside the region to train in a unit of their choice.
Employers can demonstrate their support for Reservists and the wider Armed Forces community all year round by signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant.
Organisations seeking to further their commitment to the Defence community can take part in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS), and work towards Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.
For more information on the Covenant or the ERS, get in touch with our Employer Engagement team today, or visit the dedicated Employer Engagement page on our website to find out more.
To mark Reserves Day, we will be sharing case studies from real people serving in Reserve Forces across our region.
Images – ©UK MOD Crown Copyright
