Tuesday 28 June 2022

BEVERLEY Armed Forces Day takes place this Sunday (July 3), starting with a Freedom Parade made up of some 120 members of the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force from the Defence School of Transport at Leconfield, led by the Humberside Police Band.

The scene from a previous Armed Forces Day Parade in Beverley

They will form up outside North Bar at 10am and then march into Saturday Market, where the salute will be taken and an inspection carried out by civic dignitaries. A second parade, of veterans, led by the St Mary’s Church Lads and Church Girls Brigade Band, will then take place at 11am from Register Square into Saturday Market.

A display of military vehicles will fill the Market Square to show what training takes place at Leconfield – currently the Defence School provides 94 courses to more than 100,000 trainees from all three services.

BEVERLEY man Bob Slater (pictured right), who started volunteering with the North York Moors National Park five years ago as a ranger and has since become a day leader, is one of five people short-listed for the National Park Protector Volunteer of the Year awards.

Mr Slater, who began volunteering after retiring from his organic vegetable growing business, will attend an awards ceremony at the Houses of Parlaiment next month. And until Thursday, the public can vote for any of the five nominees by following this link: www.cnp.org.uk/park-protector-awards-volunteer-vote-22

Mr Slater said: “l decided l would like to volunteer in the North York Moors National Park as a thank you for the many enjoyable days l’ve had walking in and exploring the area. I became a voluntary Ranger in 2017, and from there I got involved helping the Maintenance Rangers – work which I found really rewarding. I was then asked to be a task day leader and after the appropriate training l started leading volunteer groups doing general maintenance plus schedule monument, conservation and forestry work. I also lead groups doing drystone walling and fencing work.

Bob’s nominator described him as “one of the most hardworking and committed volunteers’ they have ever worked with”.