With the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day set to take place in May, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar is encouraging people to get involved in the commemorations and celebrations, which will be taking place on May 5th. 

While VE Day itself is the 8th of May, to support this year’s momentous anniversary, the bank holiday Monday 5th May has been officially dedicated to community celebrations, and Darren is keen to see as many people as possible get involved.

There are many ways in which people can mark the occasion:  

• Join the Great British Food Festival on Monday 5th May.
• Take part in the VE Mail letter-exchange

It could be as simple as cooking up a curry or a BBQ to a street party or Big Lunch extravaganza – whatever communities choose to do, now is a good time to start planning.

Every school child across the UK is invited to join in learning from and connecting with a living Second World War veteran ahead of the anniversary. Local schools or youth organisations can sign up today to request a letter from a Veteran to be sent to children and young people in their settings.

Darren said: 

“This year marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, and a unique opportunity to listen to the experiences of our second world war veterans. 

“I would love to see people of all ages from my constituency, and indeed across the whole of Wales, get involved in whatever way suits them best. 

“I am also calling on councils to get involved in the community commemorations and celebrations on Bank Holiday Monday, May 5th, and to ensure that they support residents’ events by relaxing road closure rules and waiving fees for street parties

“There is no doubt that communities are strengthened when we come together to celebrate our shared history, and it would be a great shame if we do not all gather to mark this momentous occasion.” 

The Together Coalition (which works to build kinder, closer and better connected communities)  is working with the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) and with the Welsh Government to get all communities involved.

For further information, visit VE Day community celebrations - The Together Coalition

If you have already made plans for the anniversary, please contact the Wales Outreach Team, who would love to hear about them: [email protected].