29 June 2024

Armed Forces Day

Organise Your Own Event

How to organise your event

If you can’t find an event near you, why not hold your own? From creating an event for your local community to a get-together with family and friends no event is too big or too small for Armed Forces Day. You could have a…

  • Picnic in the park
  • Themed BBQ
  • Knees up in your living room
  • Street party
  • Fête

Try to hold your event on, or in the weeks around, the last week of June. Finding the right location is key. Have a look at how many people are likely to attend and make sure your venue is big enough to hold them all. Smaller events could take place in town halls, public buildings, schools, churches and community centres. Events in city centres attract people who are there anyway; less central events may require more advertising and marketing.

Need some inspiration? Check out the Street Party website and check out our resources section to get hold of Armed Forces Day posters and decoration ideas. If you’d like to invite local military to your event look at the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force’s websites for details on the location of units and bases around the country. Finally don’t forget to share your party ideas and photos with us on Facebook, Twitter or email us at ArmedForcesDayUK@gmail.com!

For information on events near you, head to our Find Events page.

How to get funding for your event

Applications for event funding and registration in 2024 open on 1 March and close on 1 April. For details on how to apply, first register your event with us.

Applications for funding close on 01st April of the following year, however you are welcome to register your event on the website for publicity alone after this date.

Making The Most Of Your Event

To promote your event you will want to consider doing the following:

  1. Register your event with us and your event will be displayed on the AFD map
  2. Create a Facebook event or Tweet to let your local area know about your event
  3. Make posters to advertise your event
  4. Contact your local press to help publicise the date
  5. Decorate your events with flags and bunting

Armed Forces Day does not create official merchandise, but many companies sell flags, t-shirts and other Armed Forces Day themed decorations. These are widely available online.