A MEMORIAL flame created by students from St Edward’s School in Poole has been selected to feature on the official UK Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27.

The artwork was selected by a panel of judges to be part of the national art exhibition which will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

St Edward’s memorial flame will be one of 75 selected from a pool of more than 300 groups from across the country who registered to take part in the competition which was based on a theme called ‘stand together.’

The flames will be on display in London, although the exact location has not been released yet.

Michael Antram, Headteacher at St Edward’s School, said: “We want our students to have a rich, diverse and developed understanding of issues that go far beyond exams and the workplace.

“‘Stand together’ was a thought-provoking project through which our students could explore this tragic part of our human history.

“Our students’ memorial flame is a wonderful reflection of the need to learn from the past and to stand together in peace, tolerance and unity.”

The competition was launched by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) to encourage more people to remember the six million Jews and millions of others murdered during the Holocaust.

Chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Olivia Marks-Woldman, said: “The project has truly been nationwide and at a time when we know identity-based hostility is increasing, it is heartening to see so many groups and communities come together and pay tribute to victims of the Holocaust in this way.

“I would urge everyone to get involved in activities for Holocaust Memorial Day 2020.”

Visit hmd.org.uk for more details on how to get involved.