Residents are invited to attend the Holocaust Memorial Day event this week to remember the millions of people killed in the Holocaust and genocides worldwide. 

Holocaust Memorial Day is being held on Saturday, January 27 with a procession of dignitaries from Redditch Town Hall set to mark the important day.

The procession will start at 10.30am followed by a memorial service in Redditch Library at 10.35am to commemorate and remember the people in all countries who have suffered and died. 

Everyone is welcome to attend with local schools, groups and partner organisations set to take part in the event which has been co-ordinated by the Holocaust Memorial Committee. 

Chair of the Steering Group, councillor Peter Fleming, said: "The theme of this year's Holocaust Memorial Day is 'fragility of freedom' and this seems more poignant than ever given that this year also marks 30 years since the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. 

"Freedom means different things to different people including identity, speech, religion, love and movement. Freedom can be empowering and uplifting but also vulnerable and easy to take away. Sadly, this has been experienced by hundreds of thousands of people throughout history.

"On Holocaust Memorial Day, we can all reflect on how freedom is fragile and vulnerable to abuse. As a community, let's pledge not to take our freedoms for granted and consider what we can do to strengthen freedoms around the world." 

As part of the commemoration, from Monday (January 22) Redditch Library will also be coordinating the construction of a piece of community artwork of birds, fragile but free and escaping from a cage. 

Residents who would like to contribute to the artwork and commemorate  Holocaust Memorial Day 2024 can pick up a blank bird outline at the library and decorate it. 

No two birds in the artwork will be the same to celebrate the differences between people with the artwork being available to see after the main event. 

For more information visit www.hmd.org.uk/what-is-holocaust-memorial-day/this-years-theme/