Redbridge Council will launch its Equality Pledge at a ceremony to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.

The millions killed by Nazi persecution, as well as genocide victims in Bosnia and elsewhere, will be honoured in a ceremony at Valentines Park Memorial Garden on January 27.

Partner agencies, schools and the public are invited to join the council in committing to fight hate and inequality by signing the pledge, explaining how they will make the borough more inclusive.

Council leader Cllr Jas Athwal said: “Holocaust Memorial Day is the time for our community to remember those who suffered unimaginable horrors during the Nazi regime, to honour survivors and victims and to make a stand against persecution.

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“The Redbridge Equality Pledge is our way of showing our commitment to making our area welcoming, inclusive and fair. As a council we have values which we are proud to adhere to and we are asking our partners, residents, neighbours and friends to share those values.

“Everyone can make a commitment towards helping make sure we are all treated equally and fairly by others, regardless of our race, gender, religion, sexuality, or disability - giving us each the freedom to be who we are.”

At a Redbridge council meeting on January 16, Labour Cllr Beverley Brewer praised the pledge, saying she believed it “could be more than just a piece of paper”.

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In the same meeting, Cllr Athwal described how meeting Auschwitz survivor Susan Pollack MBE had affirmed "how we need at this moment to stand together".

"Hearing her stories, whilst heart-breaking, was so inspiring," he said, "She had risen from some of the worst atrocities but she's alive today.

"We need to learn from those stories, that's what this pledge is about."

The event will also include the “No Childs Play” exhibition, illustrating how children struggle to survive genocide by creating an alternative reality.

The ceremony will start at 11am in Valentines Memorial Garden and the signing will take place afterwards at Valentines Mansion & Gardens.

Those who wish to sign up after the event can do so by visiting the council website.