Residents across Caerphilly County Borough are being encouraged to celebrate and show their support for Armed Forces Day in Caerphilly town this weekend.
As part of the national day of celebrations, Caerphilly will kick off a day of family fun on Saturday June 25 with a military parade through the town centre featuring personnel from the Royal Air Force, the British Army, Royal Navy, as well as cadets and veterans.
Over 600 service personnel will march from St Martin’s School on Hillside, through the town centre, coming to a halt on Crescent Road.
At midday, a drumhead service will be held at the back of Caerphilly Castle, while the nearby Crescent Road playing fields are turned into a sea of military stalls, marquees, demonstrations and a parachute display by the Royal Logistic Corps Silver Stars.
The Armed Forces Day is a free event, with stalls and demonstrations open until 6pm. A full timetable of events can be found at www.southwalesarmedforcesday.org.
Phil Hubbard, Chair of the South Wales Armed Forces Day Committee said: “Armed Forces Day is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to show their support and recognition for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community, including current serving troops, veterans, cadets and forces families.”
Caerphilly County Borough Council are offering a free park and ride service from St Cenydd School to the event site, while bus firm Stagecoach is offering free bus travel to armed forces personnel carrying ID on Armed Forces Day.
Stagecoach Managing Director Nigel Winter said: “We are delighted to be showing support for the Armed Forces communities in South Wales in this way. By providing free travel to military personnel we hope to be able to give a well deserved morale boost for our local troops.”
On Monday June 20, Rhymney celebrated its own Armed Forces Day, where schoolchildren from Rhymney Comprehensive School joined Mayor of CCBC, Cllr Dianne Price, for a flag-raising ceremony.
Cllr Price said: “Thank you to everyone who attended the Armed Forces Day celebration in Rhymney. The ceremony provides an excellent opportunity to honour the dedication of those who serve in our Armed Forces.
“The event was a huge success despite the poor weather and I was delighted to see so many residents, business owners and school children who came to support our Armed Forces as they paraded through the town centre”.