RAF Shawbury holds annual reception
News from our partners RAF Shawbury
RAF Shawbury welcomed guests to its Annual Reception on Thursday 3 September 2015.
This annual event is held to thank local dignitaries, business leaders, youth workers and charitable services for their support and assistance throughout the year. This year 120 guests were hosted at the Officers’ Mess and the guests included the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, the High Sheriff of Shropshire, and the Mayors of Shrewsbury, Telford and Wrekin, Wem and Market Drayton.
This year the event focused on the Armed Forces Corporate and Community Covenants and the Station Commander Group Captain Jason Appleton was delighted to welcome local businesses who had given support to the Armed Forces during the last year.
Sqn Ldr Ceri Litster, the Project Officer for the event, explained:
“A Corporate Covenant is a voluntary pledge from businesses and organisations who wish to demonstrate their concrete support for the armed forces community. Each organisation can offer support in a way most appropriate to their situation and capacity. At a local level, ‘community covenants’ are being signed across the country, bringing military and civilian communities together.”
During the evening, hosts from across the station chatted with groups of guests in an informal setting whilst enjoying drinks, canapés and music provided by an ensemble of the Band of the Royal Air Regiment (The Band plays by permission of the Air Force Board of the Defence Council)..
The guests were then addressed by the Station Commander, before a trumpet call signified it was time to move outside. The guests enjoyed a flypast by a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight which performed a fantastic flypast to the backdrop of the setting sun and music of The Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment. The event finished with a flypast from a Squirrel and a Griffin from the Defence Helicopter Flying School.
The hosting team consisted of representatives from all three services and the Civil Service who took the opportunity to show the visitors around a range of displays inside the Mess.
The Station Commander, Group Captain Jason Appleton, said:
“It has been a pleasure to welcome our guests to RAF Shawbury. This event has been an excellent way to say thank you to those businesses and the wider Shropshire community who support the Armed Forces Covenants, and for the support that allows us to deliver world-leading training at RAF Shawbury.”
Further information on the Armed Forces Covenants is available at: http://shropshire.gov.uk/armed-forces-community-covenant/
