THE 37th Royal Signals Army Reserve Unit will parade through Redditch on June 28 after it was given the much-deserved privilege of the Freedom of the Borough.

Redditch councillors requested the then-mayor, Cllr Wanda King, to confer the ?Freedom Scroll? in recognition of the voluntary service of the regiment's men and women. The scroll was presented in March.

The mayor?s chain passed to Councillor Pat Witherspoon at the recent annual meeting of the council.

Cllr Witherspoon said: "The freedom is a confirmation of how the ties between the regiment and local people have grown since they first moved here and I'm sure people will turn out in numbers on June 28."

The 37th Signals have bases in Cardiff, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Coventry and have been headquartered in Moons Moat, Redditch, since 1992.

Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Dominique Cairns TD said: ?We have developed strong links with Redditch and it is an honour for that to be formalised further. We rely heavily on our local personnel to support our activities and look forward to building even stronger links during the coming years, and working closely with the people of Redditch - many of whom are currently serving with the regiment.?

Army Reserve soldiers use their spare time training for and supporting the regular armed forces. After completion of basic military training, they are encouraged to participate in sports and adventurous training.

To find out about joining, call 01527 599324 or visit army.mod.uk/jobs.?