James Duddridge, Member of Parliament for Rochford and Southend East, confirms the Government will contribute to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
Last week, the Communities Secretary Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP and Foreign Secretary Rt Hon William Hague MP announced the UK Government will contribute £2.1m for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
Auschwitz-Birkenau is the site of the largest mass murder in human history and an iconic symbol of the Holocaust. The Government’s commitment of funding, as well as donations to the Foundation from the rest of the international community, sends a clear message that there is responsibility to safeguard the future of the camp.
Through the Lessons from Auschwitz Project, over 3,000 students from across the UK are given the opportunity to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau each year. In total, there are 84,000 British visitors to the camp annually, more than any other country apart from Poland itself.
James said
“I am pleased that the Government has contributed to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation. I would encourage as many people as possible to visit the camp. More than a million people were murdered at the camp during World War II and it is important for everyone to be able to visit this remarkable place. I encourage schools to contact the Holocaust Educational trust to offer this experience to their students.”
ENDS