Chaplain thanks supporters of memorial day

11 November 2020

The national police chaplain has thanked everyone who paid their tributes during the first virtual National Police Memorial Day (NPMD).

This year’s service had been due to take place at Lincoln Cathedral but was held online on Sunday 27 September because of coronavirus restrictions.

And the Reverend Canon David Wilbraham, who is also National Police Memorial Day co-ordinator, said the service was watched by many people outside the police family.
He said: “The service was even more poignant this year due to the very recent events in Croydon.

“Our brave police officers selflessly protect us every day and we wanted to make our virtual service as special as possible.

“Contributions from NPMD’s Patron HRH The Prince of Wales, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Home Secretary Priti Patel and the Archbishop of Canterbury were appreciated by many and helped make the service even more special.

“Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. NPMD’s ‘reach’ to the police service and police family was considerably more than ever before and extended well beyond the policing world.

“I extend my deepest gratitude to those who participated in the service itself and to those who watched and joined in solidarity to pay tribute. A special thank you to the small, but very dedicated team who made this year’s service possible.”

The tribute by Prince Charles was watched more than 400,000 times across Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. A contribution by the Prime Minister was viewed 310,000 times.

It was the first year the service hosted a tribute wall for families, friends and colleagues to remember their loved ones.

More than 630 people posted tributes and the wall is set to become a permanent fixture for National Police Memorial Day commemorations.