Royal Mail issues Holocaust Memorial Day postmark

A special ‘Stand Together’ Royal Mail postmark for Holocaust Memorial Day is to be stamped on millions of letters sent through the UK postal system from Monday.

The announcement has been welcomed by Holocaust educators, given that the organisation handles more than 30 million letters per week.

“We are proud to support the excellent work of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust with this special postmark,” a Royal Mail spokesperson said.

“As the UK’s universal service provider, Royal Mail delivers letters and parcels to up to 30 million addresses across the UK, six-days-a-week. We publish a range of postmarks each year to commemorate and promote charitable causes, national events and cultural interests including national holidays and anniversaries.”

The postmark will be added to letters from Monday 20 January until Sunday 27 January and the wording will be: “STAND TOGETHER – Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January 2020… Visit hmd.org.uk.”

Olivia Marks-Woldman of Holocaust Memorial Day Trust said: “We are delighted that Royal Mail will be marking HMD with this special postmark seen by millions of people across the country as they receive their post in January. This is particularly special as we prepare to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

“Along with more than 10,000 activities that we are supporting, this postmark is an opportunity for people to learn more about the Holocaust and more recent genocides by following the postmark’s link.”

Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “Thank you Royal Mail! What an excellent way to raise awareness and a fitting tribute for this significant anniversary year.”

Royal Mail cautioned that “multiple variables in the postmark process mean that [the HMD postmark] cannot be guaranteed,” adding that it was finalising the text for a postmark in April commemorating the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by British soldiers.