Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is inviting the public to a memorial service to ‘Remember the lives lost and injured on Warwickshire’s roads’ at St Mary’s Church, Warwick, between 2.30pm and 4.30pm on Sunday 20 November 2022 – the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (#WDoR2022). The service will also be live streamed on Facebook (please search @stmaryswarwick on Facebook).
The church will open from 2.30pm to provide the opportunity for anyone who would like to light a candle and take some time for silent reflection.
Open to all faiths, the service, led by Canon Peter Holliday, will start promptly at 3pm and last no longer than one hour.
The service will include:
- Introduction of the World Day of Remembrance led by Canon Peter Holliday
- Songs and Hymns
- A reading from the Chair of the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership Philip Seccombe
- A minute’s silence led by Canon Peter Holliday
- Senior Family Liaison Officer Karen Powell speaking on behalf of victims
- Police force Chaplain Matthew Hopley speaking on behalf of the emergency services
- Closing remarks from Canon Peter Holliday
All those who are able to attend are welcome. However, if you are unable to attend the service in person but would like to remember someone on the #WDOR2022 a Remembrance Service ‘toolkit’ is available on our website (https://warksroadsafety.org/warwickshireremembers/) with information and readings you can choose from to create your own service of remembrance at a time and place that suits you. The toolkit also includes text and images that could be used in a newsletter and to share on social media.
Philip Seccombe, Chair of WRSP and Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire said: “The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, on 20 November provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the magnitude and impact that road traffic collisions have on society. It is still a sad fact that far too many people are killed or suffer life-changing injuries on our roads each year.
“The service allows people from all backgrounds, faiths and beliefs who have been affected by a tragedy on our roads to come together and have a moment for reflection. It also allows the wider community of Warwickshire to show solidarity and support for those who have been bereaved.
“The event also acts as a reminder to us that all deaths and injuries on our roads can be prevented and that we all have a responsibility to use the highway network safely. Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership has set a target of halving all road casualties in the county by 2030 and, ultimately, we want to get to a position where no-one suffers the loss of a loved-one on our roads. That will need everyone to play their part and become safer road users and as a Partnership we are working hard to achieve this.”
