Central to the service will be the laying of stones, which is symbolic of the Jewish custom of placing stones on the grave to show respect and remembrance.

Cantabile and the Albemarle Octect will perform reflective music and there will also be an exhibition put together by students from WISE which will then move on to the Hull History Centre. People wishing to attend the Holocaust Memorial Service should arrive 6.30pm for a 7pm start.

Each year, people from all over the world, commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and take the opportunity to reflect upon the terrible consequences of the persecution that led to the Holocaust. It is an opportunity to remember the victims of this atrocity and more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, and learn the lessons that these tragedies teach us about the impact of intolerance and discrimination of any form.

The theme for this year's Holocaust Memorial Day is 'Speak Up, Speak Out'. The day itself provides a platform to promote understanding of the fundamental human rights that were adopted as a response to the Holocaust and provides an opportunity to celebrate the strength and resilience of the human spirit.

The Lord Mayor of Kingston upon Hull and Admiral of the Humber, Councillor Colin Inglis who is attending the commemoration, said: "It is vital that we honour those affected by the Holocaust or who have survived genocide or persecution across the world. By listening to people's experiences we can learn from them and help to create a safer, better future. I am privileged to be attending this important community event."

Esther Hallberg, Education Officer at the Hull History Centre, added: "It's easy to think that your own individual voice is to small to achieve anything, but these events bring us all together in remembrance and also to hear stories of survival that are inspiring, and allow us to think what we can do ourselves to stop prejudice at its roots."

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