Starts: 25 June 2010
Ends: 25 June 2010
Time: 11am - 12.30pm
Clackmannanshire Council is showing its support for the extraordinary men and women in the county who have made an outstanding contribution to society by serving in the armed forces.
Veterans, Army and Air Cadets will parade and the Armed Forces Day Flag will be raised at Alloa Town Hall on Friday 25th June to mark the build up to the second national Armed Forces Day on Saturday 26th June 2010. This event takes place every year to celebrate the UK's Armed Forces - past, present and future.
Clackmannanshire is one of hundreds of Councils across the country who are taking part in a week of official celebrations in honour of our Armed Forces.
The parade will involve over 50 local Army and Air cadets as well as The Pipes & Drums of the Balaclava Pipe Band of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Association.
The cadets will form up in front of Alloa Town Hall and be presented to Lord Lieutenant Sheena Cruickshank and Provost Derek Stewart. After the parade inspection Provost Stewart will present a Clackmannanshire pipe banner to a representative of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland. A pipe banner is flown from the drone of the bagpipes on ceremonial occasions and this particular banner has been embroidered with the Clackmannanshire crest on one side and the Royal Regiment of Scotland crest on the other.
Lord Lieutenant Sheena Cruickshank will then perform the flag raising ceremony using the special Armed Forces Flag accompanied by the Argyll's piper playing the Royal Salute.
Among those attending the event are Colonel Bob Elliot, the Commandant of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Battalion ACF the Royal Regiment of Scotland, local councillors, Keith Brown MSP and Gordon Banks MP.
The parade and flag raising will be followed by a reception in Alloa Town Hall where there will also be a display about Clackmannanshire and Stirlingshire during the Second World War including the reminiscences of people who lived through the war. Alloa Library will also be hosting a display in the week prior to Armed Forces Day.
Provost Stewart said: "Our Armed Forces make huge personal sacrifices to defend the UK and their efforts deserve support and recognition. That is why I am proud that Clackmannanshire is demonstrating our debt of gratitude by holding this celebration. It is important that we remember the men and women of our armed services who put their lives at risk, all over the world, for the sake of the nation. The least we can do is support them on their national day."
Armed Forces Day was held for the first time last year. The national centrepiece of this year's celebrations are on 26th June in Cardiff, with other major celebrations taking place around the country including in Stirling and Edinburgh.
2010 is the 150th anniversary of the Armed Forces' Cadet movement in Britain and celebrations are going on throughout the year. The cadet movement is one of the oldest and most successful voluntary youth organisations in the world and has a strong membership in Clackmannanshire with Army Cadet Force (ACF) sections in Alloa, Alva, Clackmannan, Tullibody and Tillicoultry and the 383 Squadron, Air Training Corps based in Alloa.
Lynne Clark
T: 01259 452 015
Venue:
Alloa Town Hall
Marshill
Alloa
FK10 1AB
