National Holocaust Memorial Day service taking place in Leek

The Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Professor Liz Barnes CBE, will be among those attending this year's annual National Holocaust Memorial Day service in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Organised by Staffordshire Moorlands District Councillor and Communities Portfolio Holder, Councillor Bill Cawley, it will take place on Saturday 24 January at 2pm at All Saints Church, Compton in Leek. The postcode for the church is ST13 5PT.

The event is currently the only one known to be taking place in Staffordshire to mark the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp by the Red Army on 27 January 1945.

This year's event will be taking the theme of `Bridging Generations` and so the organisers of the day, The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, will be reaching out to local schools, to pass on the need to remember the millions of Jews, as well as other groups, who were murdered by the Nazis during World War 2 and those who have suffered in other holocausts around the world.

Aiding in the act of remembrance will be Lesley Urbach of Generation 2 Generation Educational Trust, a holocaust charity, who will tell the story of the persecution of her Jewish family and friends during the time of the Third Reich in Germany.

Nearby Endon resident Terry James has written two songs especially for Holocaust Memorial Day which reinforce the need to pass on the knowledge of the past to new generations and remain vigilant against the designs of tyrants who preach bigotry and prejudice.

The Chair of the District Council, Councillor Adam Parkes, will give his recollections of visiting Auschwitz and how this has impacted on his own faith.

Councillor Cawley said: "Everyone is very welcome to attend. The theme of `Bridging Generations` is a timely reminder that the responsibility of remembrance requires all of us to act.

"As a historian, I am a strong believer of our need to engage actively with the past - to listen, to learn and to carry those lessons forward. By doing so, we can build a bridge between memory and action, between history and hope for the future.

"I'd like to thank Revd Dr Henry Hope, the vicar of All Saints Church, for allowing the event to take place at his wonderful church and to Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and Leek Town Council for their valued support."

Published13 January 2026