Council flying the flag on Commonwealth Day
Written by John Williamson on 12/03/2018
South Lakeland District Council today raised the flag to mark Commonwealth Day.
The Commonwealth flag was raised above Kendal Town Hall, coinciding with more than 1,000 Commonwealth flags being raised across the UK and Commonwealth countries.
The event was hosted by SLDC chairman Councillor Eric Morrell, along with the mayor of Kendal, Councillor Andy Blackman, SLDC leader, Councillor Giles Archibald and the council’s chief executive, Lawrence Conway.
The ceremony in Kendal was replicated around the world by everyone from heads of state and prime ministers to lord mayors, girl guides, scouts and members of the armed forces in a shared celebration of the Commonwealth.
The initiative, now in its fourth year, is designed to show a collective public expression of commitment to the Commonwealth and an appreciation for the values the Commonwealth upholds.
Founder of Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth, Bruno Peek, said: “I am amazed how quickly this event has caught the public imagination in so many Commonwealth countries.
“We are only in our fourth year, and the participation of so many people of all ages and from all walks of life shows the enormous potential of this project and the Commonwealth.
“It is a positive and uplifting way for people to link with and assist fellow citizens of the Commonwealth in a family that spans across oceans and continents. There is a real sense of promise and hope for the future in this current troubled world of ours.”
The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, The Right Honourable Patricia Scotland QC, added: “Fly a Flag is a wonderful opportunity for local communities to come together to celebrate the remarkable diversity and inclusiveness of the Commonwealth.
“On Commonwealth Day people of all ages and backgrounds in Commonwealth countries set in every continent and ocean will recommit to working ‘Towards a Common Future’, our theme for this year.
“Raising the Commonwealth flag reminds us afresh that cooperation as a family of nations enable us to respond collectively to global challenges, and to deliver a fairer, more prosperous, secure and sustainable future for all citizens – particularly our young people.”
The Commonwealth is made up of 53 sovereign states working together in mutual support towards shared goals of democracy, development, and respect for diversity.
It includes some of the world’s largest, smallest, richest and poorest countries, with two billion citizens drawn from all faiths and ethnicities.
Beyond the ties of history, language and institutions, members are united by values set out in the Charter of the Commonwealth including tolerance, freedom of expression, respect for human rights, the rule of law, protecting the environment, access to health, education, food and shelter, and gender equality.
