On Saturday 29th June the country will be taking to the streets to celebrate Armed Forces Day (AFD).

And this year for the first time in a while Gloucester will be no different as a day of revelries will begin with a parade, starting at 12:30pm from the Cathedral to the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum at the Docks along, with stalls and entertainment throughout the day.

Mark Paveley is the Chairman of the AFD Committee and explains a little bit about his personal history.

He said: “I served 3 years as a reserve then 25 years as a regular with the Royal Corps of Signals. I started as a signalman (private) and rose through the ranks to Warrant Officer Class 1 before commissioning and serving my last 6 years as a Captain.

“My last posting saw my family living in Innsworth from July 2009 with my wife training to be a nurse at the same time. We loved the area so decided to put down roots in Gloucester.”

Mark joined the Gloucester City Royal British Legion after moving to the area, and for the last three and a half years has been Chairman of the branch.

“In that role I became involved with the AFD committee,” he continued. “There has not been a city event for a few years as a Chairman could not be found.

“In summer 2018 the same issue arose so I put myself forward to chair the committee and set about ensuring I actually had a committee. Since then a willing and great bunch of people have been discussing and planning the event.”

Mark and the team have been busy putting together the programme for the day, with more stalls and entertainment to be confirmed.

He said: “Stalls are varied and include military artefacts (vehicles include a Panther and an Armoured Personnel Carrier), Army Cadets climb wall, Air Cadets gliding simulator, Sea Cadets, Gurkha Welfare Trust, RBL, SSAFA, WRAC, Blind Veterans UK, H4H, the Rifles, the REME, 501 Sqn RAF, and many more we are literally trying to fit in!

“The entertainment looks set to include Tyler Evans, the Cotswold Male Voice Choir, and a contemporary group. Recently the fantastic news was received that there will be a band from the world-renowned Royal Marines, they will lead the parade and hopefully perform at the Docks too.

“Weather permitting we will also have an historic aircraft fly past – a spitfire has been confirmed at this point!

“Sponsorship is our biggest hurdle if we want to do everything we want to. We have a gofundme page for people to contribute and I’d like to thank our current main sponsors the Ministry of Defence, CGI and Raytheon.

“Armed Forces Day is a chance to show your support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community – from currently serving troops to service families, veterans and cadets.”

For more information on Armed Forces Day you can visit the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Armed-Forces-Day-Gloucester-603678216385877/ or their website https://www.armedforcesday.org.uk

To sponsor Gloucester Armed Forces Day you can visit https://www.gofundme.com/armed-forces-day-gloucester?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fb_dn_postdonate_r&fbclid=IwAR1L-U3geQnQUhb0y7yV_Pg1bLkWaoE187r5k3liin4Wrjzsp8qW_of_vQs