On Sunday 21st November people came together across the globe to remember those killed and injured on our roads. RoadPeace organised a number of services and activities, which took place both in person and online, providing important spaces to remember loved ones, as well as thank the emergency services involved in road crashes, who are often first on the scene and deal with the immediate aftermath.
Below are some of the services that took place.
Northampton – RoadPeace East Midlands local group
Birthday Cards of remembered loved ones were placed on the central table during the RoadPeace East Midlands Service, which took place at Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Northampton. The service included poems, readings, a performance by the Senior Girls’ Choir from the Northamptonshire Music and Performance Arts Trust, and a ‘Blessing of the Oak Leaves’ act of remembrance.
Birmingham – organised by the RoadPeace West Midlands Local group
Beneath a stained-glass backdrop, the RoadPeace West Midlands service took place at St Martin in the Bull Ring in Birmingham. The service included music, readings and poetry, as well as victims sharing their personal stories about losing a loved one in a road crash. The service also included a speech from the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster and a performance of ‘Candle on the Water’ by the Vivat! Choir. The event was kindly supported by Slater and Gordon.
You can watch the event on YouTube.
(all photos credit: Adam Dumbleton)
Liverpool – organised by the RoadPeace North West Local group
RoadPeace North West’s Service of Remembrance took place at St George’s Hall in Liverpool, its venue now for many years. The service included readings, music as well as an act of remembrance video, which included pictures and tributes of lost loved ones from the North West and across the country.
After the service doves were released at the RoadPeace memorial in the grounds of the Hall.
The service was covered by local press, which can be read in the links below:
Service of remembrance for Merseyside road crash victims this weekend | Wirral Globe
RoadPeace online service
This online service includes powerful testimonies from RoadPeace members in honour of loved ones killed in crashes, and messages of support from Dame Vera Baird the Victims’ Commission for England and Wales, and Andy Cox, Head of Crime for Lincolnshire Police, as well as a moving act of remembrance and music from the Metropolitan Police Choir.
Highlighting the daily toll of road death #rememberme #5deathsaday #WDoR2021
RoadPeace ran a campaign to highlight the needless & preventable toll of 5 deaths a day on our roads, sharing photos and tributes of loved ones on Twitter and Facebook in the week leading up to WDR.
Global commemoration of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (streamgo.live)
This WHO-hosted global commemoration of the World Day of Remembrance 2021 was in line with the theme “Remember. Support. Act.”. Through statements, personal testimonials and a visual poem in three parts, we will together pay tribute to those who have died on the world’s roads, advocate for better support for victims and bereaved families and promote action to save lives.
Updated on: 23 November 2021