Deputy Mayors Diaries: Armed Forces Day

Today I was privileged to be invited to attend Armed Forces Day.  In the past I had attended the event to watch the bands, have a look at the stalls and watch the veterans.  This year I am proud to say I helped present 17 veterans with their Veterans Badges.

There was a real mix of veterans ranging from people who served in the 80's to veterans of World War II.  There were Gurkha's being presented  with their badges alongside women who served in the Armed Forces.

There were also stalls presenting information on the support services for veterans. 

The first group I spoke to were the Tilehurst Royal British Legion.They are very active in Reading and are celebrating their 80th year this year! 

I was delighted to hear from the Reading Ex-British Gurkha Association that they have nearly 500 members and that they find Reading a welcoming town.

I also had a friendly welcome from The Forgotten British Gurkha's and it was great to hear about the work they are doing in Reading.

I spoke to SSAFA about the work they do with veterans in Reading. They have 7 volunteers dealing with about 150 cases a year offering support to veterans and their families.  Their cases range from helping homeless veterans to providing visits to elderly veterans.  They work from Brock Barracks.

The 7th Battalion The Rifles were also present.  They also have their base at Brock Barracks and my boys had a great time trying on their kit.

So many people turned out to honour the veterans of Reading despite the pouring rain which just shows the level of support our town offers.

Presenting Veterans Badges

Having a look at the 7th Battalion The Rifles kit (replica of course)

Deputy Lord Leftenant also presented badges