Gavin Whitefield

Many  congratulations to Ian and Rita Simpson  from  Cambusnethan   who celebrated their  Diamond Wedding Anniversary  on 18th June 2026.

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Mary Hernon MBE DL and Linda McDowall DL represented the Lanarkshire Lieutenancy at the Lanarkshire Business Hub Summer Showcase at Dakota Hotel Eurocentral on 18th June . Around 100 companies were in attendance and it was a great opportunity to raise the profile of the work of the Lieutenancy and encourage companies to apply for the Kings Awards for Enterprise, Voluntary Service or nominate someone deserving of a King’s Honour.

Armed Forces Day 2026

We acknowledge the incalculable debt we owe those who defend and serve our Nation. We recognise their sacrifice at memorials across Lanarkshire on Remembrance Sunday in November and strive in our own times to maintain true freedom and safeguard the peace, won at so great a cost.

Lanarkshire has a rich history of supporting our Armed Forces. Many men and women from North and South Lanarkshire served in the two world wars and in conflicts since. Many still serve including in the Reserve Forces and Cadets organisations. The Armed Forces Community incorporates the Armed Forces, Veterans, Reservists, Cadets, and Service Families.

What is Armed Forces Day?

Armed Forces Day takes place on the last Saturday each June. It is a chance to show your support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving personnel to Service families, veterans, and cadets.

It marks the culmination of a week of celebrations, beginning this year on Monday 22nd June and concluding on Sunday 28th June. It also includes Reserves Day (24th June), which provides the country with an opportunity to recognise our Reserve Forces.

Showing support for the Armed Forces provides a much-valued morale boost for serving personnel, veterans and their families. You can find out more about what they are doing at home and around the world by visiting the official sites of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force.

There are many ways for people, communities and organisations across the country to show their support and get involved.

How will it be recognised?

Across the UK, events will be held to commemorate our Armed Forces, with the majority of celebrations taking place on Armed Forces Day, on Saturday, 27th June 2026. However, celebrations will begin formally on Monday, 22nd June when the Armed Forces Day flag is raised on buildings and famous landmarks around the country.

There are many ways for people, communities and organisations across the country to show their support and get involved. There is an interactive map to find local events. In Lanarkshire, there will be formal civic events at the Council buildings in Motherwell on 22nd June and in Hamilton on 20th  June.

The Lanarkshire Lieutenancy was once again delighted to be represented at the Lanark Lanimer Celebrations from 7th to 14th June 2026.

Deputy Lieutenant Bill Tennant  DL attended the Kirkin of the Lord Cornet Elect Karl R Stewart  in St Nicholas Parish Church on Sunday 7th June .

On the Monday night following the Perambulation of the Marches, Deputy Lieutenant and Former Lord Cornet Bill Tennant DL , was on the platform at Lanark Cross for the Shifting of the Standard ceremony .

Vice Lord-Lieutenant Gavin Whitefield CBE DL took part in the Lanimer Day procession on Thursday 11th June which culminated in the crowning of the  Lanimer Queen Ayda Prentice  by Celia McCafferty/Orr MBE  . Finally at the Evening Spectacular at the Cross  Gavin had the honour of taking the Salute as the bands marched off bringing to an end a memorable and very successful Lanimer Day – despite the rain!

Lanimer Committee Chairman , Gordon R Gray , all his members and everyone involved in the arrangements should be extremely proud of delivering a spectacular procession and such an enjoyable week of celebrations .

The eleventh    public speaking competition for schools in Lanarkshire, organised by the Lanarkshire Lieutenancy,  was held on 20th May 2026  at the  Airdrie Town Hall  with the following schools taking part:

Biggar High   School

Caldervale High  School

St Andrew’s High School

St Andrew’s and St Bride’s  High School  Continue reading →

On Sunday the 7th of June 2026, the Lieutenancy was represented by George Barnsley DL, at the Boys’ Brigade Lanarkshire District Fellowship Presentation of King’s Badge Certificates. Continue reading →

Many  congratulations to Mr and Mrs Murray  from  Newarthill  who recently celebrated their  Diamond Wedding Anniversary  .

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Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal recently visited NHS Lanarkshire’s Flow Navigation Centre Plus (FNC+Plus), where she saw first-hand how the service is coordinating urgent care across the system.

Her Royal Highness was accompanied by Vice Lord Lieutenant Gavin Whitefield CBE DL and Depute Provost of South Lanarkshire Bert Thomson as part of the official party visiting the centre.

Based at Kirklands Hospital in Bothwell, FNC+Plus operates as a 24/7 control hub, bringing together nurses, paramedics, GPs, consultants, Allied Health Professionals and support staff to manage demand in real time and make rapid, informed decisions about patient care.

Handling around 7,000 calls each month, the service supports hundreds of patients every week to avoid unnecessary hospital admission, connecting them instead to services such as virtual wards, Hospital at Home and community teams.

During the visit, The Princess Royal was shown how teams work alongside partners from Primary Care, the Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS 24 to assess demand and coordinate care across services. She recognised the strength of the multidisciplinary approach, noting the emphasis on coordination, clinical judgement and supporting patients in the most appropriate setting.

Louise Long, Chief Executive of NHS Lanarkshire, said: “We were pleased to welcome Her Royal Highness and to share the work of our teams. Flow Navigation Centre Plus reflects a clear focus on delivering care that is both clinically effective and centred on people’s needs. It is a privilege to lead an organisation where staff continue to develop and improve how care is delivered.”

Claire Ritchie, Interim Director of Interface Services, said: “This was an opportunity to demonstrate how the approach works in practice for our patients in our communities. Our teams are working across the health and care system every day – combining clinical expertise with real-time decision-making to support as they navigate what are often the most vulnerable moments of their lives.”

In a vote of thanks, NHS Lanarkshire Chair Katharina Kasper said: “Flow Navigation Centre Plus reflects the values that underpin our organisation – care, compassion, dignity, teamwork and respect. Its strength lies in the people who deliver it, and the consistency with which those values are applied in practice.”

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During the visit, Her Royal Highness met a range of staff, including:

• Bernie Harvie, Service Manager, Flow Navigation Centre Plus;
• Ceri Wares, Advanced Paramedic Practitioner, Scottish Ambulance Service;
• Dr Gordon McNeish, Associate Medical Director and Consultant in Emergency Medicine ;
• Tracey Miller, Nurse, Flow Navigation Centre Plus;
• Hazel Mitchell, General Manager, Interface Directorate;
• Laura McCabe, Senior Nurse, Flow Navigation Centre Plus

The visit also included a discussion with Margaret Moncrieff, a leading advocate for lived experience, whose work continues to strengthen the voice of patients and carers in shaping services.

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• Established in 2020 as a two-person GP team, FNC+Plus has developed into a central coordination hub linking acute hospitals, primary care, community health, social care, the Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS 24, voluntary partners and digital services into a single, coordinated response.
• A short film produced by NHS Lanarkshire offers a behind-the-scenes look at the service and the teams working around the clock to support patient flow. Behind-the-scenes film reveals the 24/7 team helping keep care flowing | Videos & Movies on Vimeo
• The approach is now informing work elsewhere, with NHS Lanarkshire recognised nationally and internationally for its development of integrated, people-centred urgent care.
• This integrated model is now being replicated across Scotland, with Lanarkshire recognised nationally and internationally as a leader in people-centred urgent care.