A FLAG raising ceremony was held at Basingstoke and Deane civic centre today (June 20) to mark the start of Armed Forces Week.

The ceremony started at 10am and was led by Basingstoke and Deane Mayor Cllr Paul Miller.

Active members of the armed forces were in attendance, alongside cadets, veterans and representatives of the Royal British Legion.

The ceremony opened with a sermon, before the flag was raised by a representative of the Second Gurkha Regiment.

Cllr Miller, himself a veteran of the armed forces, then gave a short speech thanking attendees for coming along to the flag raising and calling the cadets the future.

Cllr Miller said: “This is a special day for me and for every other veteran standing here today, and I’m also very encouraged to see our cadets represented.

“You are our future, and that is something we need to nurture and support.”

The mayor then awarded badges to veterans present at the ceremony.

Each veterans’ name and regiment were called out, with the recipient stepping forwards and receiving the badge from the mayor, who thanked the veteran for their service.

Army chaplain Padre Mark Christian then blessed and dedicated the centenary pennant, which awarded to the Basingstoke and Overton Branch of the Royal British Legion, whose centenary was on July 1, 2021. 

The ceremony closed with a rendition of the national anthem.

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