- COVID-19 Day of Reflection on Sunday to be marked with local events in communities up and down the country
- Members of the public invited to take part in the COVID-19 Day of Reflection in ways that are meaningful for them
Hundreds of events and spaces for reflection have been organised by communities to remember and commemorate those who lost their lives during the pandemic. They will also be an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices made, the impact on our daily lives, and pay tribute to the work of health and social care staff, frontline workers and researchers during what was an unprecedented time.
Events, gatherings and commemorations are taking place across the country, including:
- A procession along the National Covid Memorial Wall, followed by a ceremony and a minute’s silence, and flowers being cast from London’s Lambeth Bridge
- NHS Charities Together will be holding an event at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, which commemorates the thousands of people who tragically lost their lives since the pandemic began, and pay tribute to the critical role played by the NHS, its workforce and NHS charities in supporting patients and communities during the pandemic.
- Manchester Cathedral will host a special prayer service, honouring and reflecting upon the experiences felt by the Black, Caribbean and African community who faced unique challenges during the pandemic.
- Local authorities are recognising the day across the country. In Liverpool St George’s Hall will become the city’s focal point for the Day’s activities and in Sheffield the City Council is partnering with a community-led, NHS-funded programme, Compassionate Sheffield, for commemoration, speeches and a showing of the Stories from the Pandemic documentary.
- In Scotland, Covid19 Families Scotland will be hosting an event outdoors at Glasgow Green which includes a piper, choir and minute’s silence.
- In Treorchy, South Wales, the COVID-19 bereaved will gather and remember their loved ones and place named flags in a yellow heart made of local stones, which was created in 2021 on Bwlch Mountain. The yellow heart became a memorial to all those that died from COVID-19 in Wales and has been brought back to its former glory by the COVID-19 bereaved group this year.
In Belfast, Northern Ireland, Memory Stones of Love, who are a group set up by bereaved families during the pandemic, will be marking the day by holding a remembrance concert with music, poems and readings, as well as displaying their stones with inscriptions of those we lost during the pandemic.
Members of the public can find more information to help them to mark the day if they wish, including an interactive map that displays all the events taking place up and down the country, at gov.uk/day-of-reflection.
Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said:
The pandemic impacted us all in different ways, with many sadly losing loved ones and others making great sacrifices in their lives. This COVID-19 Day of Reflection will allow people the space and time to reflect and I would encourage everyone to take part in a way that feels right for them.
Chair of the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration, Baroness Morgan of Cotes said:
It is right that, as a country, we take the time to remember the COVID-19 pandemic, to reflect on what happened, remember those whose lives were impacted in so many ways and honour those who tragically lost their lives. Today is an opportunity for communities to come together to reflect and commemorate their loved ones.
The COVID-19 Day of Reflection is one of the ten recommendations set out by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration.
The government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations made by the Commission and a full response will be published in due course.
Notes to editors
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The UK Commission on Covid Commemoration recommended a Day of Reflection to be held on the first Sunday in March where possible to align – as far as possible – with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They acknowledged that at times this would clash with other significant national events, for example, St David’s Day in Wales.
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This follows last year’s COVID–19 Day of Reflection on Sunday 3 March 2024.
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After working closely with bereaved family groups, and with other government departments and the devolved governments, it was decided that the COVID-19 Day of Reflection 2025 will be on Sunday 9 March to ensure it can be observed across the UK.
