PEOPLE of all faiths and none will gather to bow their heads in silent remembrance of the tragedies and horrors of the Holocaust.

The multi-faith Holocaust memorial service is being organised by Rodborough Tabernacle United Reformed Church on Sunday January 29 at 10.30am.

Representatives from the Anglican, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Quaker and Catholic faiths will stand side by side with agnostics and atheists to fall silent and pay their respects.

The service will remembrance of those who suffered in The Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution, and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

The Bishop of Gloucester, Rachel Treweek, will be speaking alongside Imam Hassan from Gloucester.

Councillor Norman Kay, chair of the Stroud District Council will stand in as a Jewish representative and read the Kaddish prayer, a prayer for the dead.

Brian Oosthuysen, a member of Rodborough Tabernacle said the service was aimed at being as “inclusive” as possible.

“The 'Tab', as our church is known, is an inclusive church, welcoming anyone who would like to attend worship,” he said.

“So I am delighted that we have Anglicans, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Quakers, Protestants, Gloucester Mariners, Catholics, Bahai members and those from no particular faith attending our service.

“A school choir from Rosary Catholic primary school will sing two songs during the service as well, and a member from the Mariners Church, Tricia Bailey, will sing a solo”.

Rev. Eric Massey, the minister of Rodborough Tabernacle United Reformed Church, stressed that people of all faiths and none were welcome to attend the event.

“We at the' Tab' offer a warm welcome to anyone who wants to attend the service and indeed to anyone who wants to attend any other services at the Tab,” he said.

“We do not discriminate against anybody, whatever their belief or status in our society.”

The service will be about one hour in length and afterwards everyone attending will be able to enjoy refreshments.

Holocaust Memorial Day is held annually on January 27 and is a national commemoration day in the UK.

It was first held in January 2001 and has been on the same date every year since.

The chosen date is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp by the Soviet Union in 1945.