A celebration to mark Commonwealth Day took place on Monday with a Flying of the Flag ceremony.

The Mayor of Bracknell Forest, Cllr Tony Virgo, led the celebration and was joined by Deputy Mayor, Cllr Tina McKenzie-Boyle.

A special affirmation was read by Cllr Tony Virgo which talked about the themes of ‘A peace-building Commonwealth’.

This is the fourth time Bracknell Forest has taken part in the ceremony that sees more than 1,000 Commonwealth local authorities and civic dignitaries, community groups and charities throughout the UK coming together at 10am in a joint celebration.

This year was particularly significant as the 13 March 2017 marks the start of The 2018 Queen’s Baton Relay, which will start its epic journey from Buckingham palace where it will finally reach Australia for the Gold Coast 2018 Common Wealth Games.

The event aims to encourage a widespread public expression of commitment to the Commonwealth, appreciation of the values it stands for, and the opportunities offered to its citizens around the world.

Cllr Tony Virgo said: “The flying of the flag ceremony symbolizes the commitment to the Commonwealth and the values it stands for. This year the theme was a ‘peace-building Commonwealth’ which is as important today as it ever was. It’s vital we maintain strong links with other countries in the spirit of good will and democracy. I really enjoyed the ceremony.”