Community invited to contribute to Covid commemoration video

Local residents are invited to commemorate loved ones who have passed away during the pandemic, through One Voice Blackburn.

The local charity is compiling a unique digital commemoration of lives lost during the pandemic, to be shared at their annual dinner in King George’s Hall next month.

The commemoration will feature digital images of people lost during the last 18 months along with messages from their nearest and dearest.

Everyone in Blackburn with Darwen is invited to submit details of loved ones who have lost their lives during the last 18 months – not exclusively those who have died as a result of Covid-19.

The initial commemoration will include some 20 individuals as part of a four minute tribute, and a much larger piece is also planned.

Zaffer Khan, Chief Executive of One Voice Blackburn, explained:

The One Voice Annual Dinner and 1V Awards is the first major event of its kind to be held locally since March 2020. In fact, our annual dinner was postponed from earlier in the year.

We wanted to celebrate the lives of those who we have lost over those 18 months. We thought of a simple, but emotional, commemoration video to be played on the night. However, we are now thinking of a wider distribution of the commemoration video on all social media platforms to be displayed after the dinner. It will remain open ended so we can keep expanding the video.

Coun Mohammed Khan CBE, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, added:

Blackburn with Darwen is one of the one of the English boroughs that have been hardest hit over the last 18 months. The impact of the loss of loved ones is felt across all our communities, and One Voice Blackburn are keen to give everyone an opportunity to share their stories.

I’m sure it will be a moving tribute to those involved and give everyone at One Voice’s annual dinner a few moments of reflection amid an evening of celebration of our borough’s community heroes.

Anyone who would like to share details of their loved ones to feature in the commemoration can contact One Voice Blackburn on 01254 676193, or email info@onevoicenetwork.org.uk.

The 2021 One Voice Annual Dinner will celebrate the charity’s 10th anniversary, with an event for 400 guests. The event will include the annual 1V Awards that aim to celebrate Blackburn’s unsung heroes.