For years, Penrith had marked Armed Forces Week with a flag raising ceremony that has taken place outside Penrith Town Hall, with veterans, dignitaries and residents gathering at the front of the building as the flag was raised up the flagpole to show support for serving personnel, veterans.
But this year, the ceremony has been moved away from the Town Hall and will instead take place outside Voreda House.
The change comes after Penrith Town Council had as recently as Monday announced that the annual event would once again be held outside Penrith Town Hall. However, within the last 24 hours, Westmorland and Furness Council confirmed the ceremony will now take place at Voreda House, where the Armed Forces Day flag will be raised on one of the two small flagpoles outside the council offices.
The move means another civic event traditionally held at Penrith Town Hall will no longer take place at the historic building, whose future remains uncertain two years after the council closed the building.
Armed Forces Week 2026 runs from 22 to 27 June and provides an opportunity for communities across the country to recognise, celebrate and thank members of the Armed Forces community, including serving personnel, reservists, veterans, cadets and their families.
The week includes Cadet Forces Day on Tuesday, Reserves Day on Wednesday and culminates with Armed Forces Day on Saturday.
Flag-raising ceremonies will take place across Westmorland and Furness, including in Barrow, Kendal and Penrith.
In Penrith, the ceremony will now begin outside Voreda House at 9.45am on Monday 22 June. A bugler from Penrith Town Band will perform The Last Post before a salute is made. Light refreshments will then be available at Penrith Methodist Church.
The relocation is likely to prompt questions from some residents about why the ceremony can no longer be held at Penrith Town Hall, which remains one of the town's most recognisable civic buildings and retains its traditional flagpole.
Do you think the Armed Forces flag should still be raised at Penrith Town Hall? Let us know your views in the comments.
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