The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane will lead borough's tributes at an annual service to honour and remember the victims of the Holocaust and other acts of genocide, later this month.

 

This years' service will take place outside the Civic Offices at 4pm on Tuesday 27 January. The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Cllr Colin Phillimore will be joined by Mrs Maggie Carver CBE DL, representing HM Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire, and the Leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Cllr Paul Harvey. 

 

During the service the Mayor and other community representatives will place lit candles as a sign of remembrance, light and hope.

 

The service will mark Holocaust Memorial Day and the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp and also commemorates the genocide in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. It will also remember those who suffered and died, as well as those still living who have lost friends and loved ones to genocide.

 

The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is ‘Bridging Generations’ - a reminder that the responsibility of remembrance doesn't end with the survivors. The children of St Mary’s Primary School, in Old Basing, will show their support for this theme by singing during the service.

 

The Mayor said: “The Holocaust Memorial Day service gives us the opportunity to pause to remember the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust and in other acts of genocide.

 

“It is a solemn reminder of the consequences of hatred and intolerance, and a call for us all to stand together against prejudice in every form. By remembering, we honour those who suffered and reaffirm our commitment to building a world of compassion, respect, and peace.”

 

Residents are invited to place their own candles or commemorative stones following the service.

 

Learn more at https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/holocaustmemorialday