On Tuesday 27 January 2026, a commemoration service was held in the Town of Folkestone to mark the annual Holocaust Memorial Day, an internationally recognised day to remember the millions of people who were murdered or whose lives were changed beyond recognition during the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and in the subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
Held in the Holy Trinity Church, Sandgate Road, Folkestone, and led by the Mayor’s Chaplain, Reverend Chris Johnson, the service was attended by the Town Mayor, Town Councillors, local dignitaries and students from local schools including Turner Free, Harvey Grammar, Folkestone School for Girls, Brockhill Park and Goldwyn School. Students had undertaken their own research and took part in the commemorations to remember those who died in the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.
Town Mayor, Councillor Lucy McGirr said; “As the years pass, we’re growing more distant in time from the Holocaust and from other, more recent genocides that are commemorated on HMD. That distance brings a risk: that memory fades, that the reality becomes blurred, abstract or even questioned. This year’s theme of ‘Bridging Generations’ highlights the crucial role of the next generation in preserving the memory of the Holocaust and carrying it forward. It is a reminder that the responsibility of remembrance does not end with the survivors, it lives on through their children, their grandchildren and through all of us. I wanted to specifically thank the students who attended the Service and spoke so movingly, they are a credit to their parents and school.”
The theme set by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust for 2026 was ‘Bridging Generations’ and is a call to action. This theme encourages us all to engage actively with the past: to listen, to learn and to carry those lessons forward. By doing so, we build a bridge between memory and action, between history and hope for the future.
We can speak up against Holocaust and genocide denial and distortion; we can challenge prejudice; we can encourage others to learn about the Holocaust and more recent genocides.
