Southport Armed Forces Day 2025f

ON Saturday, 28 June and Sunday, 29 June 2025, the Southport Armed Forces Day will transform into the exciting new Southport Armed Forces Festival.

The event will celebrate our armed forces and the connections the vibrant seaside town of Southport has with all 3 branches of the services, with an unforgettable weekend of festivities.

The Official Armed Forces Day for Southport will be head within the:- Kings Gardens, on the Promenade, next to the Marine Lake. Other areas of the Town Centre will also see actives taking place, including:- at The Atkinson, on Lord Street.

This is a family friendly event, and free to attend!

Saturday, 28 June 2025, will see Adventure Coast (formally Pleasureland) hosting an amazing music event:- 'Frontline Sounds' within the park.

The main festivities will take place on:- Sunday, 29 June 2025. The entire day will be pact full of FREE entertainment for the whole family!

Events start on Sunday, at:- 0930 hrs (9:30am) and end around :- 1630 hrs (4:30pm.)

In a statement in the tun up to the event organisers said:- "From the start we'd like to thank the amazing local businesses, people and talent who have given us space, skills and support. We salute you! This year we are pleased to bring the event back, bigger and better than ever! Southport's Armed Forces Day has always been the biggest and best in the Northwest. 1 of the new additions this year will see an amazing music event:- 'Frontline Sounds' the evening before the main day at Adventure Coast. The main event will be on Sunday, with activities on:- Kings Gardens, The Promenade and The Atkinson, Lord Street, and Adventure Coast (formally Pleasureland). Please give us a follow-on our Facebook Page to keep up to date with everything we have to offer on the day ! Get your family together and make it a weekend. "

These are just a few of the many groups and businesses who are helping thing this year:-

The Quo Experience; A Celebration of Status Quo.

Royal British Legion Southport.

Incipio; Band.

Adventure Coast Southport.

Millers of Longton Ltd.

The Atkinson.

Harrisons Transport.

Silcock's Funland.

Huntapac Produce Ltd.

Military Vehicle Trust.

Woods Fleet Support.

If heading in, why not get the train? See the Merseyrail website for more information. Also, keep up-to-date via the events Facebook Page.

�750,000 to break down barriers and get more young people into aviation jobs

THE next generation of pilots and engineers will benefit from new �750,000 funding to inspire them, support them into jobs and breakdown barriers to the sector.

Organisations can from today (Friday 20 June) apply for the latest Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund to help deliver aviation outreach programmes targeting disadvantaged young people, including:- those from ethnic minorities, who may not have considered a career in the sector before.

Now on its fourth round, Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund has already delivered �2.5m to 40 organisations and has reached over 100,000 young people across the country.

Funding can be used to deliver a range of programmes from career events, mentorship schemes, interactive demonstrations and educational initiatives with schools and universities.

This builds on the Government's promise to secure the long term success of aviation by growing the workforce of the future. It will also break down the barriers which prevent people from joining the industry, including:- limited access to education, financial constraints and lack of exposure to career options.

To launch the funding, Aviation Minister Mike Kane visited a careers workshop being held by current funding recipients, The King's Trust in a Liverpool youth centre. Young adults, ranging from 16-30, met aviation specialists, learning about the job opportunities locally in the industry and how to apply. They also took part in employability workshops focused on developing the practical skills needed for work.

Aviation Minister Mike Kane said:- "This is exactly what this Government is all about; breaking down barriers to opportunity so that everyone, no matter their background, has a decent shot at getting a good career and building a good life. This funding will enable organisations like The King's Trust to reach out to disadvantaged kids and support them into careers in aviation. It also delivers on our promise to help the sector grow, by delivering the pilots, engineers and technicians of the future, boosting jobs and growth across the country as part of the Plan for Change."

Such DfT-funded schemes have already supported over 100,000 young adults across the country to consider joining the industry.

Aspiring aerospace engineer James, 24, from Bath, has struggled to find work since finishing school. Challenges with his mental health impacted his studies and confidence, and he left without the qualifications he wanted.

After completing a King's Trust 'Get Ready with Aviation' programme last November, he successfully applied to study Science, Engineering and Maths at Bristol University and starts in September.

He said:- "Before the programme I felt lost and uncertain about my future. I'd always been interested in space, but didn't know where to start or what my options were. It felt out of reach. The programme helped me realise working in the industry is possible and inspired me to apply for university and pursue my dream."

Applications for the fund are now open until Friday 12 September 2025 and applications will be reviewed by a joint panel of DfT and the CAA � which administers the fund on DfT's behalf. 

Sophie Jones, STEM Sponsor at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:- "As the aviation regulator, we are dedicated to inspiring the next generation who will take the sector forward. The Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund helps reach people making the first step. By reaching and empowering diverse communities and creating a lasting impact we are inspiring young people across the UK to explore exciting careers in aviation."

Julia Beaumont, Chief Technology and Programmes Officers at The King's Trust said:- "During the past 2 years, this funding has been vital in raising awareness of the job opportunities available for young people in the aviation industry, alongside equipping them with the confidence and skills to pursue these roles. With a rapidly changing jobs market, supporting this generation to overcome the barriers they face in accessing these opportunities is crucial, not only benefitting them, but their local communities and economy."

Jeni Trice, CEO and Chief Coding Adventurer, at Get with the Program, said:- "We're already so pleased by the fantastic impact of our 2024 Reach for the Sky grant, which is helping us inspire 18,000 children aged 5�8 to become the aerospace tech innovators of the future. We know that higher aspirations, skills development, and social mobility opportunities are all vital for the UK's future economic success, and through this grant funding we've been able to deliver initiatives, such as our Moon Landing Coding Adventure, which exposes children to exciting STEM careers in aerospace."

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Southport Armed Forces Day 2025f

�750,000 to break down barriers and get more young people into aviation jobs