The streets of Dereham will come to a standstill on Friday 4th December as residents and businesses welcome home troops returning from Afghanistan.
Breckland Council will be staging a special Homecoming Parade for the Light Dragoons based in Swanton Morley, followed by a thanksgiving service at St Nicholas Church at 11.30am.
The parade at 11.00am will be led by the Parachute Regiment Band and the Light Dragoons, in full desert combat uniform, and will pass shops decorated with banners and flags. The parade will include light army vehicles and we would encourage as many people as possible to come along and show their support for the troops who have recently returned from Afghanistan.
Serving thousands of miles away from their home and loved ones must be tough, so until they are home again and to lift the spirits of the troops, Breckland Council has created an online message board so the troops can read kind messages from their supporters. You can enter your message of support at
http://www.breckland.gov.uk/prideinarmedforcesBreckland Council Leader William Nunn, said; “The men and women of the armed forces have made great personal sacrifices on behalf of us all, in both past and present conflicts. The Light Dragoons and their families are an integral part of our community and we are proud to support them. The page on the website gives our residents an opportunity to send a personal message to our brave soldiers and their families and I hope many will take the opportunity to do so. The parade is also an excellent opportunity to publically thank our troops and show our appreciation for the work that they have done, it will prove to be a momentous occasion.”
The regular Dereham Friday market will move from the market place for the parade day only and can be found in Cowper Road car park. Breckland Council would like to thank the market traders for the support they have shown regarding the moving of the market place.