St Helens Armed Forces Day event to return to Victoria Park this June

Article date: 22 May 2025

Members of the public, community groups and families are invited to head down to the borough's green flag award-winning park in Windle for St Helens Armed Forces Day - a popular annual attraction, with this year's celebration held on Saturday 21 June.

The day will get underway with a parade made up of veterans, serving members of the armed forces and cadets - before a packed programme of entertainment gets underway, featuring a 69-field gun WWII artillery display and performances from the North West Sea Cadet Band, the North West Veterans Corps of Drums and The Royal Marine Association Corps of Drums.

Other attractions on the day will include vintage military vehicles; WWII re-enactment display; children's funfair; classic cars - as well as the brilliant Anna The Golden Age Songbird who will perform a number of famous wartime hits from the bandstand.

In St Helens Borough, 6,036 households have at least one person who has served in the UK armed forces, working out at 7.5 per cent of all households which is above the England and Wales average.

This year's event comes on the back of VE Day 80 celebrations to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe, with St Helens Borough Council also recently presented with a prestigious Gold Employer Recognition Award from the Ministry of Defence as part of its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant.

Encouraging residents to attend, Councillor Lynn Clarke, St Helens Borough Council's Armed Forces Champion, said:

"Armed Forces Day is one of the most important and uplifting days on our calendar - a chance for us all to come together and celebrate the incredible bravery, dedication, and sacrifice of our Armed Forces - and of course a celebration for the borough as a whole in our efforts to showcase why we #LoveStHelens.

 "It's a day filled with pride, gratitude, and community spirit as we honour those who have served, those who continue to serve, and the amazing local organisations that stand beside them and their families every step of the way.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to enjoy a day of celebration, reflection, and unity - from live performances and parades to family activities and heartfelt tributes. I warmly encourage everyone to come along, show your support, and help us make this Armed Forces Day event a truly memorable and joyous occasion."

Councillor Keith Laird, Cabinet Member for People, Performance and IT, added: "As a council, we remain committed to supporting and honouring our Armed Forces personnel, both past and present. This commitment is clearly reflected in our ongoing support of the Armed Forces Covenant as well as meaningful events like this one, which consistently proves to be a real crowd-pleaser. It's an opportunity for us to come together as a community to celebrate, recognise, and express our heartfelt thanks to our local Armed Forces for their dedicated and loyal service."

St Helens Armed Forces Day will take place in Victoria Park between 11:00am-4:00pm on Saturday 21 June.   

To find what support is available in St Helens Borough for members of the Armed Forces, visit: www.sthelens.gov.uk/armedforces

ENDS