Wirral residents are invited to observe Remembrance Sunday commemorations online this weekend as the borough implements strategies to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
The pandemic has meant that Wirral and other communities across the UK have had to cancel all of its outdoor Remembrance Services and parades.
Wirral residents are instead being asked to pay their respects from home by watching two special recordings which will be available online on Wirral Council’s Facebook and Twitter channels just before 11am on Remembrance Sunday, 8th November.
The two pre-recorded videos will show:
A Service of Remembrance from Birkenhead Priory which includes coverage of a two-minute silence, reading of The Kohima Epitaph, prayers and a blessing. The Mayor and Mayoress are joined at the service by local representatives including Members of Parliament, local Councillors, The Royal British Legion and local army reserve units.
Footage of wreaths being laid at Wirral’s 12 main outdoor war memorials by local representatives and members of the armed forces community, including the Mayor of Wirral, veterans, children, local army reserve units and the relatives of fallen servicemen.
The Mayor of Wirral, Councillor Tony Smith, said: “Remembrance Sunday has to be very different this year, but our commitment to honour the sacrifice of so many remains as strong as ever.
“Although we are not able to stand side by side, we will still join together online at 11 O’clock to take a few moments to remember and pay our respects.”
The Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal is also asking people to show their support remotely. As many people are not leaving home as much as usual and the charity’s collectors are unable to carry out face to face collections, they are encouraging people to show their support remotely. This includes displaying a colourful poppy drawing in the windows and donating online. For more information about how you can get involved and support their vital work visit the poppy appeal website.
In another symbol of remembrance, the tower of Wallasey Town Hall and Gardens and Queen Victoria monument in Hamilton Square will join other key buildings across the city region by being illuminated in poppy-red light over the Remembrance Sunday weekend until the evening of Armistice Day on Wednesday 11th November.
Anyone wishing to visit a local war memorial to pay their respects in person is asked to consider doing so at quieter times on Remembrance Sunday and to observe Government and Public Health guidelines to help protect themselves and others.