Westmorland and Furness Council will be proudly marking Armed Forces Week 2026 (22-27 June) with a series of flag raising ceremonies taking place across the area.
Armed Forces Week is an opportunity for communities across the country to recognise, celebrate and give thanks to the Armed Forces community, from currently serving personnel and their families to veterans and cadets.
The week includes Cadet Forces Day on Tuesday 23 June, Reserves Day on Wednesday 24 June and culminates in Armed Forces Day on Saturday 27 June.
Flags will be raised in Barrow, Kendal and Penrith to mark the start of the week and to recognise the contributions of the Armed Forces community.
Everyone is welcome to attend and show their support at the flag raising events:
- Barrow – the Armed Forces Day flag raising in Barrow will take place on Saturday 20 June, organised by Barrow Town Council. A military parade and flag raising ceremony will take place at Barrow Town Hall at 10.00am.
- Kendal – on Monday 22 June, Westmorland and Furness Council invites attendees to arrive from 10.45am for refreshments in Kendal Town Hall (Town Council Chamber) followed by the official Armed Forces Day flag raising outside the town hall at 11.30am.
- Penrith – the Armed Forces Day flag raising in Penrith will take place on Monday 22 June, organised by Penrith Town Council. The flag raising will begin with a gathering outside Voreda House at 9.45am. A bugler from Penrith Town Band will mark the ceremony by playing the last post and a salute will be made. Light refreshments will be available afterwards at Penrith Methodist Church.
Westmorland and Furness Council is also hosting a special ‘Meet the Chairman’ event to mark Cadet Forces Day on Tuesday 23 June, from 4.30pm to 6.00pm at Kendal Town Hall (Town Council Chamber).
Cadets and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers are invited to attend and meet the Chairman, Cllr Doug Rathbone, as part of the celebrations recognising the valuable contribution of the Cadet Forces.
Those wishing to attend are asked to confirm their attendance by emailing Cat.Brumwell@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk and Catherine.Gainor@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.
Westmorland and Furness Council is proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring that those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly and not disadvantaged by their service.
It has also recently achieved revalidation of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award, the highest honour for employers demonstrating outstanding support to veterans, reservists, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and military families.
For more information about Armed Forces Week and events taking place across our area, visit the official Armed Forces Day website.
To find out more about the council’s support for the Armed Forces community, visit westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk and search for 'armed forces' or email armedforces@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.
