SERVICES honouring military heroes have been held across Cumbria in the build-up to Armed Forces Day.

In both Carlisle and Workington, flag-raising ceremonies took place to honour forces personnel ahead of Armed Forces Day on Saturday.

In Workington, the ceremony was led by the mayor of Allerdale, Hilary Harrington, and involved a parade, prayers and speeches.

Veterans, serving armed forces personnel, local cadet groups and other civic leaders took part in the parade through the council headquarters’ car park.

Members of the public and council staff also attended the ceremony, which was one of a number of services taking place across the country to mark the start of celebrations.

Following the service the official Armed Forces Day flag was raised by the mayor as a mark of respect to serving personnel and their families, veterans and the cadet forces.

Mrs Harrington said: “I want to say thank you to everyone who took part in the ceremony.

“It was wonderful to see so many people turn out to pay their respects and especially nice to have children from St Michael’s Infant and Nursery School join us this year.

“Our armed forces have played – and continue to play – a huge role in our community and events like this are our way of saying thank you for everything they do.”

The Workington school brought pupils from years one and two along to take part in the event.

Teacher Candice Regan said: “At St Michael’s we promote British values in everything we do.

“It’s great to bring these types of celebrations into the community and it’s been great to take part.

“It has helped make those British values real to our children.”

Following the service council leader Marion Fitzgerald re-signed the Cumbrian Armed Forces Community Covenant, a commitment from the council to help members of the armed forces, veterans and their families by addressing issues such as housing, healthcare and employment.

In Carlisle a similar ceremony took place in the centre of the city.

Cadet Lance Corporal Scott Crellin, 15, from Harraby Detachment, raised the flag.

“I was nervous because it’s my first time,” he admitted, “but I was honoured to do it - it was a good opportunity.”

To him, it is important to commemorate the Armed Forces “to show we care and we have respect for them”.

Carlisle Mayor Marilyn Bowman said: “It’s important we acknowledge what the service men, women, and veterans have done for us over a number of years. This week it raises the profile for the service men and women, and we should never forget what they did for us, and the freedom we have now that we wouldn’t have if not for them.

“So many lost their lives for us and I think it’s really important. I would like it not to be just this week but every day that we remember what we’ve got and why we have got it.”

Reverend Canon Michael Manley added: “The flag is an emblem of all the armed services and especially for this week, as we know, flags or standards used to be used in battle and still are in some circumstances. It really does bring about the whole depth of significance of what the armed services do here and abroad.

“I think particularly in fiction and in the movies people quite often glorify war and they don’t really see the impact, that the sacrifice of different individuals makes. From a church point of view, we think of the sacrifice of Jesus having to give his life to save people and here are people who want to be brave and courageous putting their life on the line in order to save others.”

Tony Parrini, branch secretary of Royal British Legion, said: “It’s very important to me that over the years we have marked various WW1 and WW2 anniversaries. Now we’re in the modern era with events such as the Falkland Islands campaign, the problems in Malaya back in the 1950s, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, and many other events that have taken place in the modern era that will take some time to get anniversaries for.

“It is important we keep in the public eye the remembrance of those who gave their lives in all conflicts.

“Also, that we show our appreciation for the work that the armed forces have done in the past, that are presently going on, and the cadet units many of whom will join the armed forces of the future.”