![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1_John-Elwell.jpg\")
One of the founders of Short Heath Lest We Forget CIC, John Elwell, pictured April 2025(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service )<\/p>\nThe move follows a petition launched by Short Heath local John Elwell, calling on the government to create such a monthOne of the founders of Short Heath Lest We Forget CIC, John Elwell, pictured April 2025(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service )<\/p>\n
Walsall Council has agreed to host a month-long celebration of uniformed personnel in the run up to armed forces day on June 28, 2025.<\/p>\n
The move follows a petition launched by Short Heath local John Elwell, calling on the government to create such a month.<\/p>\n
READ MORE:<\/strong> Walsall Council withdraws its offer of support to Birmingham City Council during bin strikes<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Councillor Amandeep Garcha, representing Short Heath, and Walsall<\/a> Council\u2019s armed forces champion, councillor Adam Hicken, brought John\u2019s petition to a meeting of the full council last week.<\/p>\n The pair put forward a notice of motion asking members to support John\u2019s petition and to write to the government minister for the armed forces to implement the national month-long celebration.<\/p>\n The labour group put forward an amendment to the motion to create a local month-long celebration across the borough, managed by the Walsall Council.<\/p>\n Members voted unanimously in favour of the motion and gave a round of applause to John for his efforts.<\/p>\n John, 68, said: \u201cI was overwhelmed. To have a room full of councillors give you a standing ovation and support it, it gives you a feeling that you may have started something that\u2019s going to be worthwhile and beneficial.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t start the petition to get recognition for me, it\u2019s recognition for everyone else. We need more than a day to show our appreciation to the armed forces.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you think about your uniformed services, the people who put a uniform on, they could all go to work and not come back the same night.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen there\u2019s a fire, people run out of the building, it takes a special sort of person to run into it.<\/p>\n \u201cWith policing, there\u2019s all the knife crime and they simply can go to work in the morning and not know if they\u2019re going to be alive at the end of the day.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t show enough appreciation for people who do that. It hasn\u2019t got to be anything formal but for one month, let them know they\u2019re appreciated.\u201d<\/p>\n John is one of the founders of Short Heath Lest We Forget CIC which was formed during the pandemic.<\/p>\n The group is responsible for a memorial bench at High Road memorial, and memory orchard of over 100 trees at Coppice Farm.<\/p>\n