I had the great honour on Saturday 25^th June of raising the Armed Forces Day flag outside Burntwood Library to signify our thanks and gratitude to the Armed Forces from the people of Burntwood.

Armed Forces Day takes place each year on the last Saturday of June and is an opportunity for the community to show our thanks and appreciation to the men and women who serve our country. We also need to include in our thanks their families who support them, the veterans, and cadets as well as the reservist forces. All of them deserve our recognition for the role they play.

The invasion of Ukraine by hostile Russian forces has reminded us of just how vital our Armed Forces are in protecting our sovereignty and freedom as a nation. It is thanks to our Armed Services that we can live our lives without fear of aggression and oppression from foreign hostile nations. We all feel safer because we know there are trained and dedicated service personnel who are always there to protect us.

Whilst Saturday is the focus of attention, if anyone missed the day then there is always a change to give thanks whenever we see someone who serves our country by just telling them how much we value all they do.