Remember loved ones lost during the pandemic
A minutes' silence is being held at midday
The country is being encouraged to come together today to remember loved ones lost during the coronavirus pandemic.
Research released by end of life charity Marie Cure shows almost a third (30%) of us do not think the nation has had the opportunity to truly reflect on the loss experienced in the last year and more than half of us (53%) feel like we need a moment to reflect and process the impact of the pandemic.
Activities will include a minute’s silence at midday and, this year, a series of Walls of Reflection across the country acting as community spaces where people can share thoughts about loved ones who've died.
Rachel, from Brighton, lost her mum to cancer after her diagnosis was delayed due to the pandemic.
She said: "It was a rollercoaster. You're constantly at the end of the phone waiting for the next piece of difficult news. Constantly in this context grappling with differences in the rules, my mum was in Scotland and I was in England, so the Covid rules were different.
"I want to make sure that we make those experiences matter for the future. My mum wanted to die in the Marie Curie hospice, but she couldn't because there were no beds available. That's because the capacity and funding wasn't there."