Service helps remember genocide victims
A community came together at a Walsall church to remember those lost to genocide.
People of all ages and faiths attended a special service at St Paul's Church in the centre of the town which helped to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.
The memorial day takes place every year in January and works to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust.
In addition, it also remembers the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution and the victims of genocides in Bosnia, Cambodia, Darfur and Rwanda.
The service served to discuss the ways in which those present can create stronger, more united communities to help prevent future acts of discrimination and prejudice.
It also saw a short film shown introducing the Righteous of the Nations, a reading with a call for unity and candles lit in memory of the victims of genocide.
Councillor Garry Perry, Portfolio Holder for Community, spoke about the aims and importance of Holocaust Memorial Day.
He said: "Each year across the UK, thousands of people come together to learn more about the past and take action to create a safer future.
"The aim of Holocaust Memorial Day is to learn more, empathise more and do more for those who endured genocide, and to honour the survivors and all those whose lives were changed beyond recognition.
"Raising awareness about those affected demonstrates how the lessons of the past can inform our lives today and ensure that everyone works together to create a safer, better future."
