How Manchester will remember the Arena attack victims during lockdown

It is the third anniversary of the Manchester Arena terror attack on Friday 22nd May, but the people of Manchester have been encouraged not to gather together or leave tributes to mark the day due to the coronavirus restrictions.

Instead, there will be a live-streamed prayer led by The Dean of Manchester, Rogers Govender, on the Manchester Cathedral Facebook page. 

There will be two prayers throughout Friday, one at 9am and one at 4:30pm. 

At 10:31pm there will be a broadcast recording of the Manchester Cathedral bells, totalling to 22 times to honour the victims.

BBC Radio Manchester will also be marking 10:31pm on May 22nd, exactly three years to the day since the attack occurred, with a dedicated programme that will begin at 10pm. 

A new memorial to the victims has been proposed that will see a white stone ring ‘halo’ at the heart, which will bear the names of the victims in bronze. There will also be personalised memory capsules with memories provided by the families held within the stone.

The proposed memorial will be located between Manchester Cathedral and Chetham’s School of Music. 

Manchester City Council leader, Sir Richard Leese, said: “Manchester will never forget the terrible events of 22nd May 2017. Those who were killed, those who lost loved ones and all those whose lives changed forever that night are forever in our thoughts.”

For anyone struggling with the impact of the Arena attack, support can be accessed via the Greater Manchester Resilience Hub on 0333 0095071 or by email to GM.help@nhs.net.