Town to honour Armed Forces
WEST Lancashire will honour the service and sacrifices made by the Armed Forces at a special event to commemorate Armed Forces Day.
The Ministry of Defence flag will be raised at the War Memorial, in Coronation Park, Ormskirk, on Monday.
The ceremony will be attended by service veterans and local dignitaries, including Mayor of West Lancashire, Cllr Liz Savage.
Local uniformed groups will also be at the event and people living and working in West Lancashire are invited to come along and pay their respects.
Skelmersdale Prize Band will perform from 4.45pm before the ceremony officially starts at 5pm when Fr Godric Timney, Parish Priest at St Anne’s Roman Catholic Church, Ormskirk, will say a short prayer.
Mrs Stanley will formally present the flag to Cllr Savage, who will say the following: “We are honoured to receive this flag as a tribute to all our Armed Services, who have served in the past and are serving today.
“It is with pride that the Borough of West Lancashire shows its support by dedicating this moment to them.
“We trust that this ceremony will be remembered with warmth and affection by all men and women who are serving or have served the Colours.”
Cllr Savage will then hand the flag on to Cllr Terry Devine, the council’s Armed Forces champion, and a veteran will give the following tribute: “Today, we have great pride in paying tribute to the men and women who defend Britain. Today, we also remember the sacrifices made by the veterans of conflict.
“I hope that you will all join me today in paying homage to our armed forces past and present who serve our country each day with pride and dignity.”
Cllr Devine and a cadet will then raise the flag.
Skelmersdale Prize Band will play music as the flag is raised. The ceremony is expected to be completed by 5.20pm.
Cllr Savage said: “I will be honoured to take part in this special ceremony as we pay tribute to those who have served in our Armed Forces.
“I hope many people will join us on this momentous occasion.”