Isle Of Wight Day Celebrations And Remembrance

Today is Isle of Wight Day (September 11).

This year’s Isle of Wight Day weekend is an opportunity for Islanders to celebrate a return to some sort of normality after months of lockdown and disruption, while offering a thank you to the thousands of people who have volunteered services to the community - and also remembering those who tragically died in the pandemic.

The special weekend of remembrance, thanks and celebration is the idea of the Island’s Lord Lieutenant, Susie Sheldon, who presided over a civic Service of Remembrance at the Minster in Newport yesterday (Friday).

The Lord Lieutenant said:

“It is particularly appropriate this year that we should all get together for Isle of Wight Day. The last year and a half has been very tough but we have much to celebrate. The Island community has shown how it can pull together and Isle of Wight Day this year is especially highlighting and thanking our many volunteers. I hope to attend as many events taking place over the weekend as I possibly can.

"The whole ethos of Isle of Wight Day, and indeed Walk the Wight, is that of celebrating what we can do so well as a united community on the Island. I am delighted to be part of it."

Today (Saturday), sees the return of the annual Isle of Wight Day celebrations, when residents are encouraged to come together to celebrate the Island, with this year’s focus on thanking the thousands of volunteers who have supported others through the pandemic.

The centre of the celebrations will take place once more at Carisbrooke Castle. Island residents will only need to pay £1 for entry to the Castle
grounds for this Family Fun Day, with coronavirus volunteers having FREE entry. More details of the Fun Day activities will be announced in the coming weeks.

Robin Courage, the founder of Isle of Wight Day, said:

“Isle of Wight Day was always designed as a day of celebration for our wonderful Island and this year’s special day will also provide an
opportunity for all our communities to come together to say a huge thank you to the thousands of incredible volunteers, who have done so much to help us to get through this very difficult time.

"Massive thanks also to David Bailey and his team at English Heritage for once again so generously making entry to the wonders of Carisbrooke Castle affordable to all Islanders on this special day."

Community Action Isle of Wight, which provides the Island’s Volunteer Centre service and has been supporting both the many community based Covid support groups and also the provision of volunteers at vaccination centre sites, is helping Isle of Wight Day to provide a thank you to volunteers.

CEO, Mike Bulpitt, said:

“The Island always benefits from the huge commitment of volunteers, year in year out, but the Covid crisis has seen an even greater
response, which needs to be recognised and celebrated."

The weekend’s celebrations continue tomorrow with the staging of the iconic Walk the Wight - in aid of Mountbatten.

The event was rescheduled from its regular date in May.

CEO of Mountbatten, Nigel Hartley, said:

“When we were forced to reschedule this year’s Walk the Wight we did not expect it to coincide with the Isle of Wight Day celebrations, so we are hugely grateful to the Lord Lieutenant for arranging for this fitting weekend of remembrance and celebrations."

To conclude the weekend of remembrance and thanks, the annual Songs of Praise concert, with the Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra and choirs will take place at Cowes Enterprise College tomorrow afternoon.