The national Armed Forces Day commemorations take place on Saturday 24 June, 2017, giving the country the chance to pay tribute to serving troops, veterans, cadets and their families.
Wolverhampton will be marking the occasion with a week of events, beginning on Monday 19 June with a flag raising ceremony outside the Civic Centre during which the Armed Forces Day flag will be proudly flown.
Over the next few days, there will be a range of activities for the whole community at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, in local libraries and at the Mander Centre.
The public will also be invited to join a guided tour around the city centre's many war memorials, while members of the Royal British Legion Riders, the motorcycling branch of the charity, will be riding through the city centre and displaying their vehicles.
On Armed Forces Day itself, the Mander Centre will host a special event featuring performances, demonstrations, exhibits and activities for all the family, hosted by "Winston Churchill" himself and ending with a flag lowering ceremony.
Throughout the week, people will be encouraged to show their support for the Armed Forces through the #saluteourforces social media campaign.
Full details of the events, which are being organised by the City of Wolverhampton Council, are currently being finalised - the full programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
Mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Barry Findlay said: "Armed Forces Day 2017 will be the culmination of a week of celebrations in Wolverhampton honouring the incredible contribution made by the UK's Armed Forces in the past, present and future.
"It is our chance to demonstrate our gratitude to them, and I hope the people of Wolverhampton will turn out in force to show their support."
To find out more about events taking place in Wolverhampton to mark Armed Forces Day, please contact Sam Axtell on 01902 554918 or email sam.axtell2@wolverhampton.gov.uk. For more details please visit Type=links;Linkid=8435;Title=Armed Forces Day;Target=_blank;.
Wolverhampton is a signatory of the Armed Forces Community Covenant, a pledge of mutual support between the city and its Armed Forces community.
It calls on local people to support the Armed Forces community, recognise and remember the sacrifices they have made over the years and encourage activities that help members of the Armed Forces integrate into local life.
It also encourages members of the Armed Forces support the wider community, and promote understanding and awareness among the public of some of the issues faced by former members of the Armed Forces as they return to civilian life.
For details of the help and support available to the Armed Forces community in Wolverhampton, please visit Type=articles;Articleid=4568;Title=Help for the Armed Forces community;.
- released: Wednesday 10 May, 2017