North Yorkshire County Council will show its support for our armed forces personnel on Saturday 25 June by flying the Armed Forces Day flag outside County Hall from 20 to 26 June. Armed Forces Day is a chance to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to service families, veterans and cadets.
There are many ways for people, communities and organisations across the country to show their support and get involved, from attending an event to throwing a party or organising an event.
North Yorkshire has one of the greatest concentrations of military bases in England and the military presence is hugely significant for the county, both socially and economically.
The County Council supports service personnel posted locally in various ways. Its support for children whose parents were deployed to Afghanistan was praised by Ofsted, the MOD, the Army Welfare Service and the National Childhood Bereavement Trust; and the Council’s support for children transferring from schools in Germany and Cyprus to North Yorkshire was highly commended in the Children and Young People Awards 2015.
North Yorkshire County Council leader Councillor Carl Les, who is also the County Council’s Armed Forces Champion, said: “North Yorkshire is very proud of its military connections: the armed forces based in the county, the veterans who live in the county, and all their families. We are also proud of our partnerships with military bases in the county and the many linked charities, including the families’ federations.
“Military personnel and their families contribute greatly to North Yorkshire’s communities and its economy. It’s fitting that we should celebrate their contribution.”
One area in which the County Council helps the armed forces is in the support it provides to children of service personnel through its Service Pupils’ Champions.
This is a unique role which was created by the County Council to provide extra support for the large numbers of service children in the county. There are two Service Pupils’ Champions in North Yorkshire supporting the emotional well-being and social development of children and young people aged five to 18, especially during periods of active deployment and exercise and at times of transition. They aim to strengthen the voice of pupils by promoting and developing the work of HMS Heroes, which is established in many of the schools in North Yorkshire.
The County Council also belongs to the community covenant and part of the commitment this brings is that those who serve in the armed forces, whether regular or reserve, veterans or families, should face no disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services. North Yorkshire was one of the first areas in the UK to agree an armed forces community covenant.
For more information about Armed Forces Day events, visit www.armedforcesday.org.uk.