THE 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau is being hosted by Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service.

The event takes place at SkillZONE, in Gloucester, on Tuesday 27 and honours the passing of a ceramic Holocaust Memorial Day baton from the service to St Peter’s R.C High School. The ‘Legacy of Hope’ baton was designed by students from the National Star College as a physical reminder of the importance of Holocaust Memorial Day.

Each year the baton is passed to organisations in Gloucester so they can collectively reflect on past events and commit to working together towards a safer and better future.

This year, in remembrance of all the victims of the Holocaust and other genocides that have taken place throughout the world, St Peter’s R.C High School will do a performance on the national theme of ‘keeping the memory alive.’ There will also be a reading of the Jewish prayer the Kaddish followed by a minutes’ silence.

Present at the event will be Gloucestershire County Council, Chief Executive Pete Bungard, the Mayor of Cheltenham Cllr Simon Wheeler, Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire Dame Janet Trotter and Deputy Chief Fire Officer Geoff Sallis who will do the keynote speech.

Cllr Will Windsor-Clive, Cabinet member for fire, planning and infrastructure, said: “This is a unique occasion for us to honor the memory of millions of people killed in the Holocaust along with the other genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Bosnia. It’s an unimaginable position to be in and I would ask people to spare a thought to those who are.”

The event is not open to the public.