This weekend, I was one of hundreds of people across Barrow and Furness who came together at community events and services to mark Remembrance and honour those who have served our country.
From Remembrance services and parades to community acts of reflection, residents paused to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who returned carrying the physical and mental scars of conflict, and all those who have worn the uniform of our Armed Forces.
In Barrow and Furness, Remembrance has a special significance. Our town has a proud military heritage and generations of local families have served in the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. Many continue that tradition today through their work supporting our national security and defence.
Remembrance matters because it ensures the service and sacrifice of those men and women are never forgotten. But it is also about something more than looking back. It is about recognising our responsibility in the present.
When we say “we will remember them”, we are not simply remembering those who have fallen. We are renewing our commitment to those veterans, serving personnel and military families who are part of our communities today.
That commitment means ensuring that support is available when it is needed.
That is why I am delighted that Cumbria has successfully secured Government funding through the new VALOUR programme, creating a network of support centres for veterans and Armed Forces families across our county.
The successful bid will establish a flagship VALOUR centre in Penrith along with local access points in Barrow, Kendal, Grange, Carlisle, Workington and Whitehaven.
For too long, veterans have often faced a confusing patchwork of support services. Many people, particularly in rural and coastal communities like ours, have struggled to know where to turn for help with housing, employment, health services or welfare advice.
The new VALOUR network aims to change that by providing welcoming, accessible spaces where veterans and their families can find support, build connections and access services more easily.
This investment recognises something that those of us living in Cumbria have long understood. Our county is home to one of the highest proportions of veterans anywhere in the country. Thousands of people who have served in the Armed Forces have chosen to make their lives here. Their service helped protect our freedoms, and they deserve access to the support they have earned.
As we gather at Remembrance events this weekend, we will rightly reflect on the courage, dedication and sacrifice of those who served.
But Remembrance should also encourage us to ask what we are doing today to support the Armed Forces community.
The new VALOUR network represents an important step towards fulfilling the promise laid out in the Armed Forces Covenant – that together we acknowledge and understand that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, including the bereaved, should be treated with fairness and respect.
This Remembrance weekend, as we honour those who served in the past, we must also make sure we are doing everything possible to make sure that support for the veterans and Armed Forces families of today is being strengthened for the future.