Peace campaigners challenge wasteful Armed Forces Day spending as Rushmoor Borough Council and arms companies pour hundreds of thousands into national event

Friday 26 June 2026

Press Release by a coalition of peace and anti-war organisations – Peace Pledge Union, ForcesWatch, Campaign Against Arms Trade and Quakers in Britain; supported by Veterans for Peace Britain

Individuals and groups this weekend (27-28th June) are challenging the normalisation of Armed Forces Day military displays and ‘family fun’ events with counter-activities across the country.

At a vigil for peace, held at this year’s national event in Farnborough on 28th June, hosted by Rushmoor Borough Council, anti-war organisations are inviting the public to take part in alternative family activities to build peace and highlight the wasteful spending on Armed Forces Day events.

This year alone, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) awarded a total of £480,000 in grants to Armed Forces Day events across the UK. While at least six of the world’s largest arms companies are sponsoring the events, with both BAE Systems and QinetiQ handing over £100,000 in sponsorship for the national event.

Also amongst campaigners’ concerns is a decision by the Council to exclude the public from its decision to host the national event at the expense of the public purse. Rushmoor Borough Council events are costing over £680,000, with the council agreeing to fund any shortfall for events often portrayed as family entertainment.

Geoff Tibbs, Remembrance Project Manager at the Peace Pledge Union, said: “War is not family entertainment. Armed Forces Day has long normalised military responses to conflict – encouraging children to handle guns and military vehicles – ignoring the devastating effect these weapons have on children in war-torn regions. In the midst of increasing violence and global insecurity, we should be focusing on creating sustainable peace, not presenting violence as fun and exciting.”

Armed Forces Day was introduced in 2009 amid widespread opposition to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Campaigners argue it promotes uncritical militarism, with many events explicitly targeting children and eating into local councils’ budgets.

The events and vigil come in the wake of Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns’ resignations, with the latter citing waste and inefficency in the MoD while calling for increased military spending.

At a time when public spending is hugely stretched, campaigners criticise the amount of money being spent on the military, and that local residents are also having to pay to promote the military in their communities.

Dixé Wills, from Quakers in Britain, said: “Armed Forces Day promotes the idea that armed force is something to be celebrated. It’s no wonder that some of the event’s most prominent sponsors are arms companies: the only winners in the current global arms race. As Quakers we believe that a lasting peace and mutual trust and understanding between nations cannot flourish when those same nations insist on threatening each other with violence backed up by ever increasing arsenals of weapons.”

Kirsten Bayes, from Campaigns Against Arms Trade, said: “Arms companies and the military use these kinds of events to launder their reputation. While it may appear “family friendly”, there are real concerns about human rights abuses and war crimes committed with British-made weapons. The past quarter century of continual war should properly lead to a period of sober reflection by the armed forces, not jamborees where the handling of deadly military equipment by children is presented as normal.”

They are also concerned about the activities around the day which target children and young teenagers with recruitment messaging. Rushmoor Borough Council used a military helicopter landing in a local primary school to promote the event and has organised a ‘schools day’ for Armed Forces Day for ‘inspiring young people’ to join the military and arms companies.

Emma Sangster, from ForcesWatch, said: “The government recently banned under-16s from social media to protect them from harm and exploitation – yet these events are allowed to target military recruitment activities and displays towards children and young teenagers using weapons and military vehicles. The UK remains the only country in Europe to recruit 16-year-olds into the armed forces, when they are less likely to make an informed choice. This is not something that schools and local councils should be facilitating. It is also completely unethical to use children in schools as part of a marketing strategy for these events.”

Last year, after significant local concerns were raised, City of York Council agreed that military equipment would not be displayed at its Armed Forces Day event. Leicester City Council previously prohibited the armed forces from inviting children under 16 to handle weapons at recruitment stalls.

Peace and anti-war campaigners are calling on the Government to redirect the huge amounts of money currently wasted on military spending to public services like schools and hospitals, and for councils to stop accepting MoD grants and facilitating the normalisation of Armed Forces Day as ‘family fun’.

Coalition Calls to Action

The public: To join the coalition’s vigil near Farnborough in Napier Gardens, North Camp, GU14 6EF at 2pm on Sunday 28th June to build a more peaceful world. For more detail visit – https://linktr.ee/armedforcesday Location found at: http://w3w.co/invest.probe.invite

Those not attending the vigil are encouraged to take action locally, including writing to your council about Armed Forces Day.

Local and National Government: The campaigners are calling on local and national government to stop targeting children and teenagers with military recruitment messaging, redirect wasteful military spending into public services, and address the root causes of conflict and insecurity.

Notes

1.  Issued on behalf of: Peace Pledge Union, www.ppu.org.uk, ForcesWatch, www.forceswatch.net, Campaigns Against Arms Trade caat.org.uk, and Quakers in Britain, www.quaker.org.uk 

2. Armed Forces Day – on 27th June 2026 – has taken place at the end of June each year since 2009.

3. The Ministry of Defence has awarded £480,000 to 130 Armed Forces Day events in 2026: Hansard, 1st June 2026.

4. Rushmoor Borough Council events are costing over £680,000 with the council agreeing to fund any shortfall. Their decision to host the national Armed Forces Day event was taken at a meeting exempt from public view.

5. Rushmoor Borough Council’s £5m funding gap: https://www.rushmoor.gov.uk/your-council/council-budgets-and-spending/guide-to-our-budget-for-202627/ 

6.  Information on the involvement of schools in the national Armed Forces Day events: Council celebrates 100 days to go until Aldershot and Farnborough host Armed Forces Day National Event 

7. Armed Forces Day 2026 national event is sponsored by arms companies: Rushmoor Borough Council Armed Forces Day 2026 event page

8. Vigil: Napier Gardens, North Camp, GU14 6EF, Sunday 28th June, 2pm-3pm. http://w3w.co/invest.probe.invite 

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