2007/06/27 Veterans Day Presentation Birmingham 27 June 2007

I'm delighted to be here once again. Birmingham is a hub in every sense of the word - a vibrant thriving multicultural city; a city, which cherishes tradition; a city with a proud military heritage and a strong military footprint that carries forward to this day.

That's why I'm particularly pleased that Birmingham is hosting the National event for Veterans Day 2007 - I'm determined to make sure that Veterans Day gathers in stature as a national celebration and applaud your superb effort in making that happen.

I'm absolutely confident that the weeklong celebrations taking place in Birmingham will play a major role in raising the profile of Veterans.

The sheer scale of activity, both here in Birmingham and across the UK is really impressive. I am aware of more than 250 events taking place in communities across the UK in the coming weeks.

This morning I had the pleasure of joining hundreds of Veterans and school children who were enjoying a dedicated programme of Veterans Day activities at the National Memorial Arboretum.

And this afternoon I've been really impressed by everything going on here in your city centre - the huge Veterans Marquee in Victoria Square is a wonderful focus.

I'm afraid that I won't be able to attend the Mega Tea Dance planned for this afternoon. I'll be heading back to London for another Veterans Day event in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich, which includes a concert sponsored by the Not Forgotten Association.

I have no doubt however that the Tea Dance will be a great success, with a planned attendance by some 1,000 Veterans and partners it certainly looks like one for the record books!

Birmingham has really captured the spirit of Veterans Day. I want to congratulate the Lord Mayor, Randall Brew and his team for doing such a fabulous job. And of course special thanks must go to his predecessor Mike Sharp.

Today is a chance to celebrate the unique contribution each and every Veteran has made to our country - a chance to raise awareness of their service and the issues that affect them.

The Ex - Service organisations and charities play a vital role in forging those bonds and providing ‘hands on' guidance and support and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all they do.

The MOD has recently re-branded our services to Veterans under the Veterans-UK banner which provides one easy point of contact for those requiring help and advice on veterans issues.

As Veterans Minister I have the privilege of meeting Veterans up and down the country - I've never failed to be impressed by them. They span every generation and all sorts of backgrounds.

Many tell me that their time in the Forces was the most formative time of their lives, and that the friendships they made have been some of the most enduring.

The Veterans community today totals - if you include their families - some 10 million people. A real force to be reckoned with - men and women, Regular and Reservist - many still active in the work place. Men and women who have given to their country and who are continuing to make a huge contribution to their communities. 

And of course our Veterans have played a vital role in sustaining the strong foundations and excellent reputation that our Armed Forces enjoy today. Men and women who, in their turn, are performing with great courage and professionalism on difficult and dangerous operations in Iraq and Afghanistan today.

It is a military ethos that has endured and continues to serve this country well - I know I speak for us all when I say how very proud we are of them.

This years' Veterans Day has been brought into special focus as the nation has marked the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands Conflict. There have been all sorts of events across the country and indeed I am aware that the Lord Mayor is hosting a series of Gala Dinners this week for Falklands Veterans from each of the single services - a wonderful gesture of gratitude.

Reaching out to younger generations is a very important part of raising the profile of our Veterans - this year we have run a national competition for schools to produce a local newspaper front page linked to the Falkland Islands Conflict.

I'm delighted to be able to announce that the winner of the competition is the Stanley Primary School from Blackpool.

One of the very tangible ways that we can pay tribute to our Veterans is through the Veterans Badge. The Armed Forces Veterans Badge was launched in 2004, with the UK Merchant Seafarers Veterans Badge introduced a couple of years later in 2006 to reflect the unique relationship that the Merchant Navy and fisherman have held with the Armed Forces throughout the years, and indeed their much valued contribution.

There has been huge interest in the Badge and to date more than 470,000 Badges have been awarded to Veterans who served prior to 1984.

Today, I am pleased to be able to announce that eligibility to apply for the Veterans Badge will now be extended a further ten years to allow all those who served at any time prior to 31 December 1994 to apply.

Veterans Day is a chance for the nation to recognise the contribution of our Veterans, both during their time in the Armed Forces and for the role they play in their communities after leaving the Services.

Today we are joined by around 80 of those men and women and it is my privilege to present them with the HM Armed Forces Veterans Badge or the UK Merchant Seafarers Veterans Badge as a mark of our respect.

The Minister will now present the Veterans Badges