Merton Council is calling on residents to line the streets of Morden for this year’s Armed Forces Day Parade on Saturday 29 June.
Armed Forces Day will start at 9.45am with a dedication service at the war memorial outside the Civic Centre. After the service, the parade will start its new route leaving Abbotsbury Road, turning left onto London Road, past the Civic Centre arriving at St Lawrence Church for 10.45am where a multi-faith service will be held.
The dedication service will be led by the Revd Canon Graham Derriman, Chaplain to the Royal British Legion, and will be followed by the raising of the Union Flag, led by Mayor of Merton, Councillor Krystal Miller and the Queen’s Deputy Lieutenant for Merton, The Right Honourable Sir John Wheeler, JP. They will be joined by local representatives from the Royal British Legion, Mitcham and Morden MP Siobhain McDonagh, Wimbledon MP Stephen Hammond, Council Leader, Councillor Stephen Alambritis and other local councillors representing wards across Merton.
Members of the Royal British Legion, Army Cadets from Wimbledon College, Air Training Corps, the Scouts, Police Cadets, Territorial Army, the City of London Fusiliers and other organisations will join in to offer respect to those who serve in the armed forces in the UK and overseas.
Mayor of Merton, Councillor Krystal Miller said: “I hope as many residents as possible will join Merton in recognising the brave people who risk their lives for us at home and abroad.’
Merton’s cabinet member for children’s services and Veterans’ Champion, Councillor Maxi Martin, said: “I am calling all residents in Merton as well as local businesses in Morden to come out as the parade passes by as we recognise and honour the brave people who risk their lives to keep us safe.
For more information visit http://www.merton.gov.uk/armedforcesday
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Notes to editors
This year’s Armed Forces Day poster will feature designs by pupils from Lonesome and Links Primary Schools.
About the London Borough of Merton
An outer London borough to the south west of the capital with a population of 200,000 residents living in 80,000 households and served by 7,500 businesses. Formed in 1965, the borough’s five main town centres are Wimbledon (taking in the Village, the Broadway and South Wimbledon), Mitcham, Morden, Raynes Park and Colliers Wood.
Merton is home to the world famous All England Lawn Tennis Club, where the Wimbledon Championships take place every year bringing an extra 500,000 people into the borough for the tennis extravaganza.
In the 13th century, the Statutes of Merton, the basis of common law in England and seen by many as the forerunner for modern parliament, were signed here. In the 19th century Merton was a place of industry where famous names such as Arthur Liberty and William Morris based their businesses on the River Wandle. The Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson also lived in Merton.