It has been three years in the making – delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic – but Scarborough will host the national Armed Forces Day event this June.
As many as 100,000 visitors, current and former military personnel and cadets will be on the Yorkshire coast on 25 June as the nation says ‘thanks’ for the work of our armed forces and the wider defence community.
With a planned two hours of flying displays, a parade and the chance to get up close and personal with some of the army’s equipment and vehicles, it will be a thrilling day.
A programme of events leading up to Armed Forces Day involving local children and artists will also delight the expected crowds.
It wouldn’t be possible to stage the national celebration without the kind support of more than 30 different organisations and businesses.
Tesco is the event platinum supporter.
Marcus Denison, director sponsor of the armed forces at Tesco, said:
“We’re proud to be able to support National Armed Forces Day in Scarborough which will celebrate the tremendous contribution our service people make to our country.
“At Tesco, we signed the Armed Forces Covenant to show how we value our military personnel.
“As a veteran working and former chair of our Armed Forces Network, I am extremely proud to work for a business that was recognised with a Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award for its support of the armed forces community.”
We asked our main sponsors to explain why they wanted to support the national Armed Forces Day celebrations in Scarborough.
Steve Marshall, chief executive, NAAFI said:
“Armed Forces Day is a great opportunity for us to show how proud we are to continue supporting the British Armed Forces wherever they need us as we have for the last 100 years.
“We’re looking forward to showcasing what we do in support of Forces communities around the world as well as giving attendees an opportunity to sample and buy some of our famous NAAFI tea!
“While restrictions prevented us from attending events during our centenary year, we’re keen to take part in what we’re sure will be a great day of celebration.”
A spokesperson for Babcock International said:
“Babcock is a proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, and the recipient of a Gold Award in the MOD’s Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme.
“As a major employer of service leavers and reservists through our active recruitment approach, we are proud to sponsor this year’s Armed Forces Day national event.”
Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford GCB CBE DL, senior military adviser, BAE Systems, said:
“Providing support to our armed forces lies at the very heart of what we do as a company.
“We value the unique relationship we have with both serving members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and we recognise the invaluable contribution that serving personnel, reservists and military families bring to our businesses.”
Paul Raby, Balfour Beatty group HR director, said:
“As we celebrate Armed Forces Day across the UK, we remain steadfast in our commitment to breaking down the barriers that veterans, reservists and partners currently face; accommodating their needs and requirements, so that we can utilise their significant, transferable skillset.
“By offering long-term careers across the UK we can fulfil our military partners’ ambitions, giving them equal opportunities to thrive across all areas of our business and join our ever-growing community of ex-forces.”
Howard Snape, regional president GB and Ireland, McCain Foods, said:
“We’re delighted to support the Armed Forces Day national event this year, and I’m incredibly proud that our hometown of Scarborough has been chosen as the host.
“As one of the biggest employers in our area, we want to help showcase our region and demonstrate our support for the local community, as the nation comes together to celebrate and recognise the work of the UK armed forces.”
Commodore Alistair Halliday, chief executive, RFEA the forces employment charity, said:
“Armed Forces Day is a wonderful moment in the calendar for us all to reflect on the phenomenal contribution of everyone who has served, or continues to serve.
“I am very much looking forward to being involved again this year. Not only because we will finally be returning to a face-to-face event, but also because we will be attending in our new form, as a combined charity with the Officers’ Association.
“This marks an incredibly exciting new chapter in our history, and I cannot think of a more fitting opportunity to share it with members of the Armed Forces community and beyond.”
Alex Owen, head of armed forces engagement, the Royal British Legion, said:
“Our armed forces community do so much for us every day of the year, as we’ve seen throughout the pandemic and more recently overseas.
“The Royal British Legion wants to encourage all our communities to celebrate their service on this first Armed Forces Day event since 2019.
“We are delighted to be able to support the national event taking place in Scarborough.”
Lieutenant Claire Rossiter, Taylor Wimpey, said:
“Working in such a fast-paced multinational environment was incredibly challenging.
“As a media officer for the Navy, you end up being involved in all kinds of different projects, often dealing with challenging and evolving scenarios, while juggling a range of multinational actors.
“This can be anything from standard press releases, covering foreign VIP visits, to deck hopping from one ship to another in helicopters as part of an exercise.
“Today, I use many of the skills I acquired in the Navy in my day to day job at Taylor Wimpey.”
Mike Greene, chief executive, Scarborough Borough Council, said:
“The borough of Scarborough will be firmly on the map in June as we host the national Armed Forces Day event.
“Our chance to mark the contribution of the UK’s armed forces and to say ‘thanks’ to existing, former and future service personnel couldn’t happen without the support of many organisations.
“We are very grateful to all our sponsors for the part they’ve played in bringing this event to Scarborough, Whitby and Filey.”
We also appreciate the generosity of the following organisations:
