07 May 2025
The For Evermore Tour begins
This weekend saw the beginning of the commemorative events marking VE Day across the UK and Europe. We were delighted to see so many of you as we began our For Evermore Tour, our roadshow that will travel the country sharing the stories of the men and women we commemorate with the next generation, ensuring their stories are never forgotten.
A night to remember at our VE Day 80 Concert
On Friday, we hosted a commemorative concert in aid of the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation at the incredible Coventry Cathedral. Hosted by the fantastic Amy Dowden, the concert was a wonderful evening of music and commemoration, as we were joined by the D-Day Darlings, cellist Guy Johnson and the Brass Band of Central England.
We were delighted to see so many of you there, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.
The For Evermore Tour begins
Coventry was also the first stop of our For Evermore Tour.
We were delighted to welcome members of the public to our roadshow, explaining more about our work and sharing the stories of the men and women we commemorate. Coventry was the first of a host of events being held across the UK and in Europe, as we aim to engage the next generation with the stories of the fallen of the world wars.
One of the most popular parts of the tour is our Torch for Peace, which is appearing at a number of events across the next few weeks. The torch is a lasting figure of commemoration, a timeless symbol for future peace, whilst acknowledging the circumstances and legacy of the past. Visitors to our roadshow will be able to get a photo with the torch and play their role in sharing the stories with the next generation.
The Torch for Peace was a key part of the VE Day events in London, proudly displayed by two air cadets alongside veteran Alan Kennett who started the VE Day parade through London.
We also held a fantastic event at Runnymede Air Forces memorial, where we welcomed more than 300 members of the public to the iconic memorial to tell the stories of the men and women of the air forces who died during the Second World War.
Visitors had the chance to picnic at the stunning site, with guided tours of the memorial, passing on their stories to the next generation – and even a picnic in the beautiful grounds.
Our roadshow has now travelled to the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth where we’ll be welcoming visitors for the next few days. Portsmouth has close ties to our work, as it is home to one of our iconic naval memorials.
You can visit the torch and our roadshow in Portsmouth this week, or find out where we’re heading next and come and say hello.
Where can you see the For Evermore Tour?
Commemoration in the Netherlands
We were also delighted to welcome more than 1000 Canadian students to Bergen-Op-Zoom in the Netherlands.
We were part of the traditional commemorative events in the region, celebrating 80 years since the liberation of the Netherlands, and took the chance to tell the stories of Canadian and other Commonwealth war dead who we commemorate there.
Being able to share the stories of the Commonwealth war dead commemorated there and across the globe is a vital part of ensuring that their stories live on For Evermore.
The For Evermore tour continues throughout the rest of the VE Day commemorative events, but we still have a pack schedule for the rest of the summer, leading up to the VJ commemorations in August. We’d love to see you at one of our upcoming events.