Armed Forces Day on the way

June 28th this year is Armed Forces Day, and organisers report that flags linked to the day have been raised all over the nation to mark the beginning of celebrations.

Defence services secretary, Rear Admiral Simon Williams, has said that it is heartening seeing the support the UK's people keep giving to the Armed Forces.

"The respect and appreciation shown on Armed Forces Day by the people in communities up and down the country goes a long way to sustaining the high morale of the Armed Forces family," he said.

Saturday will be the sixth Armed Forces Day held, and Stirling is the 2014 host city. Earlier this week, it held its own Stirling Castle flag raising event.

The Armed Forces Day flag has gone up at 10 Downing Street and other well-known places, such as the Ministry of Defence.

One of the events linked to Armed Forces Day is a Help for Heroes art show.

This weekend, pieces by servicepeople and veterans who have used its Phoenix House Recovery Centre are on show in North Yorkshire's Bolton Castle, H4H reports.

The castle is always free for members of the Armed Forces to visit, and at Armed Forces Weekend it's free for their families, too.

The exhibition, which will also feature woodwork from people who have spent time at Phoenix House, is to include Phoenix House t-shirt designs from primary school children who entered a recent competition, too.  

Castle takings from the weekend are going to '£100,000 for Our Heroes', a campaign from the Northern Echo, which is raising cash for a Phoenix House arts facility. The exhibition itself will stay in place until July 11th.

H4H representatives are set to be at the castle on the 28th and 29th telling people about the charity.