Our Annual Lunch to mark Holocaust Memorial Day has been held every January since 2003.

Our most recent Annual Lunch 2023 welcomed David Baddiel in conversation with Jo Coburn and featured a live spoken word performance by young people from our programmes. Watch the full recording and find out more here

Always a moving and inspiring occasion, this event brings people together to remember the 6 million Jewish lives lost in the Holocaust as well as victims of subsequent genocides, hate crimes and prejudice today. Showing your commitment to support anti-prejudice education in order to build a world free from hate.

It is an opportunity for supporters to find out more about the work we do and hear directly from the young people we work with. It’s a chance to really see the impact that our programmes have and how they make a difference to so many young people’s lives.

This event also includes a poignant candle-lighting ceremony to honour victims of persecution, hatred and genocide.

Speakers Every year we invite a high profile speaker to our Annual Lunch. They address the impact of prejudice on society and the power of education in challenging it. Previous speakers have included James O’Brian, Lord Alf Dubs, RT Hon Sajid Javid, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, and Joanna Lumley.

Young people  Young people take centre stage at our Annual Lunch. They share their experiences and show supporters how our programmes have empowered them to stand against all forms of prejudice. We’ve also been proud to share powerful creative films made by young people. In 2021, students from schools across the UK worked in collaboration with English National Opera on the film ‘We are all human regardless’. In 2022, young people premiered an inspirational creative piece made with Blind Summit Theatre, outlining their experiences and hopes for One Day. Watch films here.

Looking back: Annual Lunch 2022

Our Annual Lunch 2022 was a special event, not only marking Holocaust Memorial Day, but also the 75th anniversary of the first publication of Anne Frank’s diary.

In recognition of the importance of these events, we were very glad to be joined by Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall who attended as our VVIP Guest of Honour. We also welcomed Dame Joanna Lumley, who attended as our guest speaker, delivering a wonderful speech on the importance of our work and the inspiration of Anne Frank.

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“It is by connecting across differences that we thwart those who try to use those differences to divide us… this is the age of young people we need in order to build a world free from hatred” – Dame Joanna Lumley

Hosted once again by BBC Presenter, Jo Coburn, we were joined by over 400 guests for this moving and inspiring event. Young Anne Frank Ambassadors from schools in Dundee, Rotherham and Redbridge were there to share the premiere of their creative film project #AnneFrankOneDay, and our candle-lighters led a poignant ceremony of remembrance for the 6 million Jewish lives lost in the Holocaust as well as victims of subsequent genocides and hate crimes.

Watch a full recording of the event below. 

In the press:

Read coverage from our event

The Independent, ITV News, The Mirror

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Save the date for next year:

Thursday 18th January 2024

To enquire about The Annual Lunch contact our events team