Guide for UK Councils
The Together Coalition has compiled this toolkit for councils to use ahead of the nationwide celebrations being held for the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Photo: Stephen Craven
VE Day 2025
Councils are uniquely placed as you know your residents best. We’re therefore encouraging all councils to support the nationwide ‘The Great British Food Festival’ by facilitating and hosting street parties, community BBQs, organising picnics, or hosting a Big Lunch.
Although the official date for VE Day falls on Thursday 8 May, this year we’re encouraging communities and organisations across the country to use the bank holiday, on Monday 5 May, to come together.
The Great British Food Festival is a joint initiative by The /together Coalition and the Department for Culture Media and Sport. It aims to celebrate our freedom and to bring different communities together, through food and recipes. We want everyone to get involved.
What Councils can do:
You know how best to engage with your communities, but some of the following ideas could help to increase participation:
- Organise a civic event and invite the community to come together and share food or recipes.
- Encourage communities to organise a street party – if possible, share guidance with residents to apply for road closures and waive any associated fees. Useful UK Government guidance on hosting street parties in England is available here.
- Offer reduced price/free venue hire in council-owned buildings for communities to organise an event and promote the opportunity to community groups, residents, associations and faith groups.
- Download the VE and VJ Day 80 Toolkit for brand resources including logos, bunting templates, activity sheets and more.
- Promote celebrations using #VE80 on social media
Make it inclusive:
- Invite faith group and community leaders to organise or join events and to share information with their networks.
- Use your social channels to share stories about veterans with diverse heritage from sites like Muslim War Memorial Trust and Colourful Heritage, as well as these articles from history.co.uk and Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
- Signpost residents to funds to support the cost of events, such as the National Lottery Community Fund.
- Encourage councillors, school children, local historians and community leaders to gather and share stories from local veterans’ families.
Other resources and initiatives
- Download a press release template.
- We have also launched a VE Mail initiative where schools and youth organisations can sign up to receive a letter from a veteran and write their own responses. Please encourage your local school and youth organisations to sign up today.
