Holocaust Memorial Service

Sefton will remember victims of the Holocaust during a special memorial ceremony open to the public.

This year's service will be attended by the Mayor of Sefton, Cllr Iain Brodie-Browne and takes place on Sunday, January 29, at Christ Church, Lord Street, Southport at 1.30pm. 

Partners including Sefton Council, the Association of Jewish Ex Service Men & Women, King George V College, Southport, Runshaw College, Leyland, Sefton Equalities Partnership, Sefton Unison and Christ Church all help organise the annual service. 

It will be the 17th tribute paid in Sefton as the ceremony is held on the nearest Sunday to Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD). Each year, Holocaust Memorial Day falls on January 27 - the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. 

Councillors and council officers will attend the memorial ceremony in Southport as well as members of the public. All will take part in a minute's silence. 

Mayor of Sefton, Cllr Iain Brodie-Browne, said: "Every year on January 27, the world reflects on Holocaust Memorial Day. 

"It is a time for everyone to pause to remember the millions of people who have been murdered or whose lives have been changed beyond recognition during the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and in subsequent genocides. 

"HMD is a time when we seek to learn the lessons of the past and to recognise that genocide does not just take place on its own, it’s a steady process which can begin if discrimination, racism and hatred are not checked and prevented. 

"At the annual Holocaust Memorial Service in Southport, it unites the many diverse strands of our communities and enables us to demonstrate how the lessons of the past can inform our lives today and ensure that everyone works together to create a safer, better future. 

"The service is an important event in our calendar and if you have the time, please join us to mark this day." 

The service in Southport is open to everyone, with refreshments served at the end.

For more information visit http://hmd.org.uk/