(AFD) Armed Forces Day goes unrecognised by Merton Council (From Wimbledon Guardian)

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(AFD) Armed Forces Day goes unrecognised by Merton Council

10:46am Saturday 10th July 2010 in Your Neighbourhood

(AFD) Armed Forces Day goes unrecognised by Merton Council

With last months Armed Forces Day events taken place across the country and Fully Supported by local councils, where whole communities come together and showed their support for the Country’s Armed Forces fighting on their behalf around the world, Merton Council appear to be making no effort in assisting or supporting a local group of ex servicemen to hold the event for 2011 in Merton.

For the last year, a group of ex servicemen from Haig Homes in Morden (The biggest ex service community in Britain) have been pressing your council to make a commitment to hold this event in Morden Park on Saturday 25th June 2011 to no avail.

“Chris Lee the Director of environment for Merton Council openly admitted in a meeting that he knew nothing of or about the Armed Forces Day”, and then decided in favour of the Park and Ride for the All England Lawn Tennis rather than supporting the Armed Forces Day.

However the biggest let down are the very council we have just elected. While we were assisting their election before May 6th, they couldn’t be more vocal, but now they have been elected we hear a different tune. They have choose to ignore and cancel meetings, failed to announce they were to raise the AFD Flag on the 26th or to put invites out for the serving and ex serving members of this borough to attend.

The flag raising appears to have been an after thought and an attempt of damage limitation, knowing that the ex service community were becoming more concerned, and wanting to see whether the residents of Merton thought the same as the council by advertising in the media.

Our local MP has recently attacked the Police for putting the All England Tennis above the community; though the Labour ran Council are doing exactly the same. It appears to be double standards and only when it suits.

Do you believe the Armed Forces Day should go ahead or not?

Paul McDonnell Ex Royal Artillery and Local correspondent

Comments(2)

Paul McDonnell says...
7:45pm Tue 3 Aug 10

It appears i am fighting a losing battle as there are no comments to this article. Is it because no one has read it, or no one cares about the Armed Forces?

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Foxnwolf says...
11:15am Wed 4 Aug 10

Hi Paul...

I hope its not a case of "no one cares" but rather foreseeing a uphill battle with the likes of Merton Council.

I am a honorary member of Pauls ex forces community (ex RM) who like Paul says; Over a year ago we started to organise a "Armed Forces Day 2011", the location being Morden Park and all its glorious 60 acres of land.

We had contacted the likes of Royal Navy parachute display team, RAF, Royal Marines, Royal Artillery, Navy, Army and Cadet Corps`...

The 2 year agreement on bringing this to life was agreed so that enabled us to pre book the best of the best in terms of displays (live & static)...

We even attended (2009) the national organising comittee of the AFD at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire where like minded groups of ex squaddies and councils attended and listened to serving Colonels & Commanders who were instructing on the following years events. This gave us an insight in to preparation for 2011, in fact we were the only group present who had earmarked 2011 not 2010 for their AFD project...

But now, all this organising and pre booking events initially 2 years in advance has all come down to nothing. Everywhere else all over the country the Councils take the lead in organising these annual events to honor and commemorate our serving and ex miltary men & women. They contact local serving and none serving service personnel to ask if they could assist by passing word on to the military events teams and managers to ask for support. Merton council didnt even have to do this, all they had to do was provide the land, we even made the emergency services aware of what was happening...

Still, Merton Council ignored, hesitated and bluffed their way out of any responsibility whatsoever...

What made it even more embarrasing for Merton Council ? We had full support from the "Baitul Futuh Mosque and its community in Morden, the council snubbed this as they thought it would instigate some sort of riot or terriorist attack from right wing groups during the celebrations...

Now isnt that a sad indictment on Merton Council, Full Support from thousands of the local, hardworking Muslim Community towards better understanding of community relationships and Diddly Squat from Merton Council...

Merton Council should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Inquires have lead us to believe that the LTA is a "money spinner" for Merton Council, therefore the "Park n Ride" was non negotiable concerning relocation. The LTA did not want to get involved with us when we asked for help; quote` "Its down to Merton Council"...(quick reverse gear and batten down the hatches)

What good is a council when it ignores the local community, what good is a council when it shows total lack of support for its communty, what good is a council who is unwilling to negotiate...

And, as Paul has suggested. Why have no further comments been listed on this "Story" ?? Or is it that we are all getting a "bit laid back" or maybe, just hide in the corner n` say nowt`...

Paul is now considering stepping down from the organising comittee, I say NO!!... If we all gave up whenever the crap hit the fan nothing would ever get done. I suggest that we hold it elsewhere and when we do Merton Council will get some unwanted Media Attention

Come on people of Merton, have your say, its free, you wont go to jail... Its what the military of this country have fought and do currently fight for.......

Foxnwolf out.......

Hi Paul... I hope its not a case of "no one cares" but rather foreseeing a uphill battle with the likes of Merton Council. I am a honorary member of Pauls ex forces community (ex RM) who like Paul says; Over a year ago we started to organise a "Armed Forces Day 2011", the location being Morden Park and all its glorious 60 acres of land. We had contacted the likes of Royal Navy parachute display team, RAF, Royal Marines, Royal Artillery, Navy, Army and Cadet Corps`... The 2 year agreement on bringing this to life was agreed so that enabled us to pre book the best of the best in terms of displays (live & static)... We even attended (2009) the national organising comittee of the AFD at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire where like minded groups of ex squaddies and councils attended and listened to serving Colonels & Commanders who were instructing on the following years events. This gave us an insight in to preparation for 2011, in fact we were the only group present who had earmarked 2011 not 2010 for their AFD project... But now, all this organising and pre booking events initially 2 years in advance has all come down to nothing. Everywhere else all over the country the Councils take the lead in organising these annual events to honor and commemorate our serving and ex miltary men & women. They contact local serving and none serving service personnel to ask if they could assist by passing word on to the military events teams and managers to ask for support. Merton council didnt even have to do this, all they had to do was provide the land, we even made the emergency services aware of what was happening... Still, Merton Council ignored, hesitated and bluffed their way out of any responsibility whatsoever... What made it even more embarrasing for Merton Council ? We had full support from the "Baitul Futuh Mosque and its community in Morden, the council snubbed this as they thought it would instigate some sort of riot or terriorist attack from right wing groups during the celebrations... Now isnt that a sad indictment on Merton Council, Full Support from thousands of the local, hardworking Muslim Community towards better understanding of community relationships and Diddly Squat from Merton Council... Merton Council should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Inquires have lead us to believe that the LTA is a "money spinner" for Merton Council, therefore the "Park n Ride" was non negotiable concerning relocation. The LTA did not want to get involved with us when we asked for help; quote` "Its down to Merton Council"...(quick reverse gear and batten down the hatches) What good is a council when it ignores the local community, what good is a council when it shows total lack of support for its communty, what good is a council who is unwilling to negotiate... And, as Paul has suggested. Why have no further comments been listed on this "Story" ?? Or is it that we are all getting a "bit laid back" or maybe, just hide in the corner n` say nowt`... Paul is now considering stepping down from the organising comittee, I say NO!!... If we all gave up whenever the crap hit the fan nothing would ever get done. I suggest that we hold it elsewhere and when we do Merton Council will get some unwanted Media Attention Come on people of Merton, have your say, its free, you wont go to jail... Its what the military of this country have fought and do currently fight for....... Foxnwolf out....... Foxnwolf

(AFD) Armed Forces Day goes unrecognised by Merton Council (From Wimbledon Guardian)

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