Book your place at memorial day service

9 April 2025

Bookings are now open for this year’s National Police Memorial Day which is being held at Coventry Cathedral for the first time.

The service, which is one of the key events in the policing year, will be held at 2pm on Sunday 28 September.

“National Police Memorial Day gives us all the chance to remember those officers who reported for duty but sadly never made it home at the end of their shift,” says Darren Harris, chair of Suffolk Police Federation.

“It is attended by officers of all ranks, from chief officers to constables, as well as politicians, civic leaders and representatives of other organisations linked to the police service.

“But the most important guests of all are the families of fallen officers.”

Darren believes officers should try to attend a National Police Memorial Day at least once during their time in policing.

Poignant

“The service is a poignant reminder of the way in which policing is a vocation like no other and how all too often officers sadly make the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities,” Darren explains.

Founded by Joe Holness in honour of his Kent colleague PC Jon Odell who was brutally killed in Margate in 2000, the National Police Memorial Day service was first held in 2004 and is supported by royalty, the Government and UK police services.

It is rotated around the four nations of the United Kingdom and is held on the closest Sunday to 29 September, which is St Michael’s Day, the patron saint of policing.

It provides a service of remembrance to honour the courage and sacrifice of the almost 4,000 police officers who have died on duty.

Register to attend this year’s service.

READ MORE: Spring edition of the branch magazine is out now.