Pledge to save Remembrance parade, despite cuts

Organisers of a Remembrance parade in Camberley have pledged "to do everything possible" to ensure this year's event goes ahead after its funding was pulled by the local authority.

Surrey Heath Borough Council (SHBC) says it has been forced to make major cuts in its spending after suffering financial difficulties, including losing14% of its staff in order to make a £3m annual saving.

Its CEO Nick Steevens said, as a result of that "headcount reduction", two key members of staff who supported the parade in previous years had left and not been replaced.

He added SHBC had been forced to make "uncomfortable decisions around discretionary services and what we could and couldn't provide".

Speaking at an executive committee meeting on Tuesday, Steevens said "a significant amount of money having to be found" meant a Remembrance parade was not something SHBC could sustain any longer.

He added: "Even last year, it had become clear we did not have the capacity within our staff, or the budget, to be able to deliver that successfully in isolation."

This was despite having fundraised and reaching out to the community and the Royal British Legion for backing, he said.

However, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Steevens says the council will try to support the organisation of an event in "any capacity we can within the limited resources we've got".

Royal British Legion's Camberley branch chair Patrick Mathe admitted he understood the council was being cooperative and that it was no longer able to do what it had in the past.

He said: "I'm only interested in doing everything possible to make sure Remembrance goes ahead.

"We will provide our ceremonial services as always and continue to remember and respect those who are serving our country.

"It would be a crying shame if it didn't go ahead, but everything possible is being done to ensure it does," Mathe added.

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