It was an honour for me to see the Constituency Garden of Remembrance at Parliament this week, which was commissioned by the Speaker of The House of Commons along with the Royal British Legion. Poignant moments like this allow us to put politics to one side and to focus on the things that make us proud to be British and proud of the sacrifices made by others to protect us.
As your Member of Parliament I was asked to dedicate our Remembrance tribute to an individual, regiment or community in Bassetlaw and that is why I asked you as constituents to come forward with suggestions for who we should commemorate in the garden.
Having heard so many stories of bravery and sacrifice from our community, it was impossible to choose one single case and therefore, as many of you suggested, the tribute I laid was to all those from Bassetlaw who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our way of life. All 650 Parliamentary constituencies are represented in the Garden and it is the first time this has been done in one single place.
I have attended many events with our veterans since becoming your Member of Parliament and this year I will be remembering our fallen at the event in Worksop on Remembrance Sunday from 10.30am to 12pm, starting at the Market Square and then onward to the War Memorial, via Potter Street and Watson Road.
At the parade I will be joining the Deputy Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire Alex Peace-Gadsby DL, Chairman of the Council, Cllr Jack Bowker, Council Leader, Cllr Simon Greaves and the council’s interim Chief Executive. Also present will be councillors, Royal British Legion representatives, Army Reservists, cadet units, ex-service associations, Police and Fire Service representatives and voluntary organisations. If you are able to, then please join us as we come together to pay our respects.
Following difficulties arranging large public events due to Covid-19, I am pleased that we are now able to join as a community once more on Remembrance Sunday.
Remembrance parades, the Poppy Appeal, local services and the great work being done in our schools are so important so we can ensure that the men and women from Britain and the Commonwealth, who gave everything to defend our way of life and protect our freedoms, shall never be forgotten. We must also do our very best to make sure we support of veterans and their families.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has raised and continues to raise funds to help support these good causes.
