Memorial day service moves onto Scotland
With Cardiff having hosted last year’s annual National Police Memorial Day on behalf of Wales, this year’s event moves on to Scotland and Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall.
The service, which will be held on Sunday 29 September, starting at 2pm, honours police officers who have lost their lives in the course of their duties.
“We were proud to see the service hosted in Cardiff last year,” says Steve Treharne, South Wales Police Federation chair, “The service moves on each year from one nation of the UK to another and this year it is Scotland’s turn to host.
“As Federation chair, I have had the honour of attending the service a number of times now and can honestly say that I think it is one of the most important events in the policing year.
“This year will be the 21st service of its kind and it seems strange now to think that this has been a relatively new addition to all our calendars.
“The first service was held in St Paul’s Cathedral in London in October 2004 following a campaign by now retired Kent Police Inspector Joe Holness who decided more needed to be done to recognise and honour fallen officers after his colleague Jon Odell was brutally killed in Margate in December 2000.”
The patron of the National Police Memorial Day charity is King Charles III who first took on the role while Prince of Wales. He has attended a number of the memorial day services.