A memorial service to remember the millions of lives lost in past atrocities will take place in Dorchester next week.

​Dorchester Town Council and the South-West Dorset Multicultural Network, with the support of Dorset Council and Kushti Bok, have organised a free, public event at the Corn Exchange to observe Holocaust Memorial Day.

It will take place on Friday, January 26 from 12.30pm-1.30pm. The service will involve speakers, music, and presentations from local schools, concluding with the lighting of candles and a minute’s silence.

The Mayor of Dorchester, Cllr Alastair Chisholm, said: “This is a long-standing event that the Town Council have always been pleased to support. We especially value the input of children and young people as it ensures that the lessons of the past are being learned and shared to create a better future”.

The annual day of remembrance is held on January 27 and commemorates the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust under Nazi persecution and in the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

The theme for this year’s Dorchester service is ‘The Fragility of Freedom’, which will explore the idea that freedom is a fragile concept and one not to be complacent about.

Emma Scott, Community Development Officer at Dorchester Town Council, added: “This is always a very poignant event, and one that is still meaningful today. It allows us not only to remember those who died during the Holocaust and in subsequent genocides, but also to honour their deaths by pledging to stand up to discrimination and hatred which we continue to need to resist today”.

The Corn Exchange will open from midday to allow time to view displays and meet with the organisers before the event commences at 12.30pm.