PRESS RELEASE 017/2013
20 February 2013

COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE UK ENCOURAGED TO HOLD ARMED FORCES DAY EVENTS

Communities across the UK are being encouraged to apply for funding to hold events as part of the nationwide Armed Forces Day campaign, held in honour of our Servicemen and women past and present.

Since 2009, Armed Forces Day has been marked annually with events large and small throughout the UK, and this year the celebrations will fall on Saturday 29 June, with a major national event held in the City of Nottingham. Last year over 200 events took place in all parts of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, many of which were made possible through funding from the Ministry of Defence (MOD). They included Armed Forces Day tea parties, parades, big band concerts, civil war military re-enactments and live and static demonstrations; all designed to enable people to come along and show their support for the men and women of the Armed Forces family.

If you are a council, organisation or a member of a local community you can apply for funding from the MOD to host an event, whether big or small. A maximum of £10,000 is available per application, providing that the MOD funding accounts for no more than 50 per cent of the total cost, with numerous bids for a few hundred pounds granted each year to assist smaller events. Anyone interested in applying for funding must submit an application form by 29 March 2013.

Rear Admiral Simon Williams, Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel & Training) and Defence Services Secretary said:

“If you are planning to host an Armed Forces Day event, the Ministry of Defence is once again able to offer financial assistance, enabling you and your community to celebrate our Servicemen and women for the outstanding job through a truly memorableoccasion. I encourage anyone who is interested in funding for their event to apply by 29 March.”

Councillor Alex Baxter was part of the North East Lincolnshire team who successfully applied for funding to help mount celebrations in June 2012. He said:

“With the help of MOD funding we were able to hold a truly spectacular Armed Forces Day celebration over two days, attracting 35,000 people. We planned an exciting programme for young and old, including an air show, a parade, and military displays followed by live entertainment with fireworks. Given the success of the day, we have already applied for funding for 2013, and would urge other communities to do the same.”

To find out more about the application process and funding criteria, please visit www.armedforcesday.org.uk or contact the Ceremonial Events and Commemorative Team at the MOD by email PersTrg-DSSec-CECTMailbox@mod.uk or by telephone 020 7807 0970. The website also contains a range of ideas and items to help get the most out of your local event.