Lord Mayor to Lead Leeds Remembrance Sunday Ceremony

City prepares to honour servicemen and women on 9 November

The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Dan Cohen, will lead the city’s Remembrance Sunday service on 9 November, paying tribute to those who have lost their lives in military service. The event will take place at Victoria Gardens, with a procession and multi-faith service planned to mark the occasion.

Details of the Remembrance Sunday event

The ceremony will begin at 10:50am with a procession departing from Leeds Civic Hall. The procession will include dignitaries, ex-servicemen and women, veterans’ organisations, and current serving military personnel. They will march from Rossington Street to the war memorial in Victoria Gardens.

Wreaths will be laid at the memorial by the Lord Mayor, HM Vice Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire Helen Thomson, the Deputy Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Debra Coupar, members of parliament, other political representatives, and family members of the fallen.

Multi-faith service and two-minute silence

The service at the war memorial will be led by the Bishop of Kirkstall, the Right Reverend Arun Arora. Contributions will also be made by the Lord Mayor’s Chaplain Rabbi Anthony Gilbert, Senior Imam Qari Muhammad Asim MBE, and the Very Reverend Canon Father Matthew Habron, reflecting the city’s diverse faith communities.

At 11am, attendees will observe a two-minute silence following the sounding of the Last Post by a bugler. The service will be shown on two large screens in Victoria Gardens to allow all members of the public to view the proceedings.

Post-service events

After the service, the Lord Mayor and civic representatives will proceed to Millennium Square for a salute and march past.

Armistice Day commemoration

On Tuesday 11 November, Armistice Day will be marked with a short service at 10:50am at the Victoria Gardens War Memorial. This event will not include a parade. Wreaths will be laid by the Lord Mayor and HM Deputy Lieutenant of West Yorkshire.

Background

Remembrance Sunday is held annually on the second Sunday in November, closest to Armistice Day on 11 November. The service commemorates British and Commonwealth military and civilian personnel who served in the two world wars and all conflicts since 1945. It also recognises those who have lost their lives due to conflict or terrorism, as well as the contributions of emergency services and civilians.