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Remembrance event and free parking

Published

Wednesday 22 October, 2025

Updated

Wednesday 22 October, 2025

Swale Borough Council is once again organising this year’s civic Service of Remembrance in Sittingbourne on Sunday 9 November.

Remembrance Sunday can be used as a day to appreciate the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces, who defended our freedoms and protected us and our way of life.

The council’s Remembrance Sunday service begins at 10:00am at St Michael’s church, Sittingbourne, and will be followed by a procession through the high street ending at the war memorial on Central Avenue.

The procession, led by representatives from the Royal British Legion Riders, veterans and community groups, will arrive at the war memorial and gather for the Act of Service commencing at 11am.

After the formal proceedings, there will be an opportunity for individuals and organisations to lay wreaths and personal tributes in honour of the fallen.

You can view the full order of service, at the cenotaph, online here.

The council are also offering, one off, free parking in all their car parks across the borough - except for Sittingbourne Bourne Place Multi-Storey Car Park - on Sunday 9 November between 8am and 2pm.

Central Avenue - from the Police Station to the High Street - and Central Avenue car park will be closed from 8am until 12pm to facilitate the Service of Remembrance and the procession.

Cllr Karen Watson, Mayor of Swale, said:

“It was amazing to see our community come together at last year’s event to celebrate our armed forces, and we are proud to be hosting the event again this year.

“These services give us the opportunity to remember and appreciate all the sacrifices people made, and continue to make, to keep us safe and protect our way of life.

“Thank you to all our former, current and future members of our armed forces - your bravery will never be forgotten, and, of course, to their family members who often make sacrifices too.”

Cllr Hannah Perkin, chair of Swale’s Housing, Health and Communities Committee, said:

“We want as many people as possible to be able to attend our event and other services across the borough, so we will once again be offering free parking at our car parks between 8am and 2pm.

“Budget constraints are making it increasingly difficult to offer free parking, but we have worked incredibly hard to be able to make it happen again this year.

“If you want to attend a local service on Remembrance Sunday you can park for free, let’s come together as a community to remember and honour those who gave their lives in service.”

What is Remembrance Sunday?

Originally Remembrance Day was held on 11 November each year, as First World War hostilities ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. In 1956 the date was fixed as the second Sunday of November. Each year Remembrance Sunday remembers all those who fought and died in any conflict, as well as veterans and soldiers who are still serving for their country.

Why Poppies?

The most recognisable symbol of Remembrance Sunday is the red poppy, which became associated with World War I memorials after scores of the flowers bloomed on the former battlefields of Belgium and northern France. (The phenomenon was depicted in the popular 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields,” by Canadian soldier John McCrae.) In 1921 the newly formed British Legion (now the Royal British Legion), a charitable organisation for veterans, began selling red paper poppies for Armistice Day, and its annual Poppy Appeal has been enormously successful.

Why Two Minutes Silence?

This silent pause gives us an opportunity so that, in perfect stillness, the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on remembering those who have sacrificed so much. The first minute represents all those who have died; and the second minute is for those who survived.

Where can you park?

Click here to find a car park in Swale.

Are there other events in the borough?

Click here to see more Remembrance Sunday events across Swale.

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