Corby Town Council host Holocaust memorial evening

Corby Town Council came together with the community on Holocaust Memorial Day to reflect on the horrors of the Holocaust and more recent genocides that have taken place since.

The memorial event was held at The Core at Corby Cube on Friday, January 27, and was run in conjunction with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

MP Tom Pursglove opened the evening and was followed by three key speakers, Sean Kettle, Cllr Martyn Reuby who spoke about the evening's theme Ordinary People, and Cllr Callum Reilly who talked and shared photos of his visit to Pinkas Synagogue and Terezin.

Young people from Lodge Park Academy read seven statements of commitments followed by the lighting of a candle and a minute's silence.

The poem by an anonymous author from 1943 called Homesick was read out by Lacie Buckingham.

The evening was closed by Chordless Corby who gave beautiful renditions of Imagine and Caravan of Love.

Deputy mayor, Cllr Leanne Buckingham, said: “This event was one of thousands that marked Holocaust Memorial Day this year. By attending, everyone has contributed to building a future which is free from genocide.

"Despite the horrors of the Holocaust, we know that genocides have taken place since – indeed, the Holocaust prompted the coining of the legal term ‘genocide’ which has come to be used in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Darfur and more recently Ukraine.

“We remembered all those that suffered du ring the Holocaust. Jews, Romani’s, the disabled, and homosexuals. Poles, Serbs, and Slovenians.

“Closer to home on our streets, on public transport, and online, people are still facing attacks because of who they are.”