Newham Council is flying Armed Forces Day flags at its town halls in East Ham and Stratford this weekend to show support and appreciation for current and former members of the armed forces community.
Councillor Terry Paul, Cabinet member for finance and corporate services and the Council’s armed services champion, said: "We are proud of those servicemen and women, regulars and reservists, who call Newham home, who are currently serving or have previously served.
“We fly the flags to salute our armed forces who protect us, defend this country's interests and answer the call to deal with humanitarian disasters across the globe and at home. In recent months they have responded magnificently to the nation’s call for support in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic by staffing mobile testing units, supporting ambulance services, and helping to deliver personal protection equipment to frontline staff. In Newham we saw their fantastic work in helping to build the NHS Nightingale Hospital at ExCeL in the Royal Docks in just nine days.
"Our decision to fly the Armed Forces Day flags is not a support for war or conflict. It is about people and their families and how we can look after them during and after their dedicated service."