D-Day '80 for 80' - Commemorating 80 years since D-Day with an epic cycle ride and community commemorations nationwide

The D-Day landings of 6^th June 1944 formed the largest seaborne invasion in history. Along with the associated airborne operations, it marked the beginning of the liberation of France and western Europe and the end of World War Two.

On 5^th and 6^th June 2024, 80 years on from that momentous day, a series of major commemorations are planned to take place in the UK and France to honour the brave personnel who risked their lives on D-Day for freedom and peace.

The Not Forgotten’s commemoration is D-Day 80 for 80, encompassing an epic one-day 80-mile bike ride around D-Day sites of the south coast of England, PLUS a whole range of community commemorations designed to reflect on D-Day, remember the brave men and women involved, and bring out the best in community, camaraderie and conversation.

The D-Day 80 for 80 Bike Ride - Thursday 6th June

A one-day 80-mile bike ride involving 8 veterans and 8 serving personnel, marking this momentous anniversary, highlighting sites of great importance to D-Day Allied preparations, tying in with national commemorative events, and fundraising for The Not Forgotten.

Team 80 for 80 will:

Set off from the D-Day Memorial in Poole at 0800hrs on Thursday 6th June
Cycle via the New Forest and stop at the RAF memorial at Beaulieu
Witness the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight D-Day Flypast overhead at 1130hrs
Reach Marchwood Military Port (the embarkation point for military boat transport involved in D-Day) at midday
Transit from Marchwood to Hamble in appropriately themed D-Day seaborne transport
Call in at Hamble and HMS Collingwood during the afternoon
Finish at Hayling Island near Portsmouth where so many of the D-Day preparations took place, around 1700hrs
There they will join with the national 'Sunset Ceremony' event and evening celebrations.

Sponsor the cycle ride here

But '80 for 80' is about far more than one cycle ride.

We’re calling on our whole Not Forgotten community to come up with their own ideas for marking 80 years in 80 ways, bringing family, friends and communities together to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Some 80 for 80 commemorations might raise money, but others will be about community, camaraderie and conversation. Reflecting on D-Day and taking a moment to celebrate the freedoms of our daily life won for us by the brave men and women who took part in Operation Overlord.

For those who like a challenge, why not walk, run, row, cycle, or work out at the gym for 80 minutes between now and 6th June. Ask for a £1 donation per minute of activity!

For a less physical option why not bake and sell 80 cakes, or knit 80 stitches a day and sell what you make...

Ask family and friends to head into the attic or shed and collect 80 items for a Not Forgotten car boot sale.

Hold a Not Forgotten fundraising quiz with 80 questions

Get out the Karaoke machine, go busking or join your choir and sing 80 songs between now and D Day. Ask people to choose songs and donate for each song sung!

Ask 80 family friends, Facebook or Linked In contacts to make a donation of £1

Don't forget to let us know what you are planning - email fundraising@thenotforgotten.org - and tag us in photos of you in action!

You can set up a Fundraising page on JustGiving to link to our 'umbrella' TNF page for the whole 80 for 80 commemoration - https://www.justgiving.com/cam.../thenotforgotten80for80dday

For any questions or help with fundraising email fundraising@thenotforgotten.org

#DDay80for80 #DDay80