Council to raise Commonwealth flag

WARRINGTON Borough Council will be marking Commonwealth Day by taking part in a nationwide flag-raising ceremony at 10am. on Monday March 10.
An estimated 500 flags will be raised throughout the United Kingdom by local authorities, civic dignitaries, community groups and charities to celebrate the country’s membership of the 53-nation Commonwealth.
Mayor of Warrington Cllr Peter Carey will read out the following affirmation at the Town Hall: “Joining together as members of one worldwide Commonwealth family, we raise this flag as a symbol of the ties of friendship we cherish, affirming our kinship and common purpose in building for the future towards shared goals of development and democracy, and commit ourselves afresh to working alongside one another in a spirit of respect and understanding, exploring new ideas and rising to fresh challenges, with all our sisters and brothers, wherever we may live, learn or work.”
Elsewhere in the country, charity teams will mark the day by taking Commonwealth flags to the top of the highest mountains in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, using the occasion to raise funds.
Bruno Peek, Pageant master, of Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth, said:
“This will be the largest single, raising of the Commonwealth flag in the history of the Commonwealth. The success of this year’s event bodes well for 2015 and the future as we extend the invitation to participate and involve all 53 countries of the Commonwealth and UK overseas territories, to make this the largest-ever annual occasion involving local communities throughout the worldwide Commonwealth family.”