HMP Foston Hall builds a Memorial Garden in remembrance of the Holocaust Victims.

HMP Foston Hall is a closed female establishment, which holds up to 283 prisoners, located near Derby.

The Prison hosted the Anne Frank exhibition on the 10th to the 12th of February 2010. The event was attended by almost all prisoners as well as members of Staff.

At the closing event, a Holocaust Memorial Garden was officially opened. The women in the prison put a huge amount of effort and work into the project.They had cleared the ground, laid the flower beds, as well as constructing the memorial in the centre of the garden which they named the garden of ‘Remembrance and Reconciliation’. At the centre of the memorial, there is a candle section which is surrounded by barbed wire. The women even took the trouble to make the barbed wire look rusty and old, the women prisoners were so proud of what they had done!

Rabbi Perez said an opening prayer and he blessed the garden. Simon Winston (Holocaust survivor) gave a series of talks about his experiences. Also at the event, were two musicians who played beautiful Klezmar music, (music which was banned by the Nazi regime) during the candle lighting. Also attending, was Nigel Groom, a Representative of GRT ( Gypsy Roman Traveller Community) who gave a talk about the Travellers persecution throughout history.

The event was well organised and very moving, it was such a success!