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Minutes of the Infected Blood Memorial Committee Meetings

Updated 11 June 2026

Minutes of the Seventh Infected Blood Memorial Committee Meeting – 1 June 2026

Attendees

• Infected Blood Memorial Committee
• Committee Secretariat
• UK Government
• Scottish Government
• Welsh Government
• Northern Ireland Executive

Memorial Service at St Paul’s Cathedral

The Committee reflected on the success of the memorial service held at St Paul’s Cathedral on 19 May 2026, which was attended by over 1,000 people. The total costs for the service remained within the forecast budget. To ensure transparency, the Committee agreed to publish the costs of the St Paul’s Cathedral and Church House events on gov.uk

National Memorial: Community Engagement

The Committee agreed to host two virtual webinars on Wednesday 1 July and Thursday 30 July 2026 to gather community input on the principles and suggested location for the national memorial. A short questionnaire will follow the webinars, asking attendees to formally record their views. 

The Committee refined the draft principles for the national memorial, ensuring the language reflects compassion, dignity, and clarity in remembrance. To support long-term accessibility, the Committee agreed to integrate a digital element into the memorial plan.

Minutes of the Sixth Infected Blood Memorial Committee Meeting - 7 May 2026

Attendees

• Infected Blood Memorial Committee
• Committee Secretariat
• UK Government
• Scottish Government
• Welsh Government
• Northern Ireland Executive

Memorial Service at St Paul’s Cathedral

The Committee reviewed the final arrangements for the memorial service at St Paul’s Cathedral on 19 May 2026. 

The Committee agreed that “Guide Me O Great Redeemer” will serve as the processional hymn, while “Abide with Me” has been moved to the Remembrance section of the service. The service will conclude with “Lord of All Hopefulness.”

The Committee approved the finalised Order of Service. The Committee also finalised the details for the symbolic petal drop. It was agreed that an equal ratio of red, white, and yellow petals will fall during the moment of silence.

Venue Logistics and Attendance

The Committee discussed the physical arrangements within the Cathedral to ensure a supportive environment for attendees:

• Symbolic Seating: Clusters of red, yellow, and black chairs will be placed throughout the venue.
• Support Services: St Dunstan’s Chapel will be utilised by the Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance to provide medical support.
• Quiet Space: The St Michael and St George Chapel will be designated as a quiet area and will house the Book of Remembrance.
• Facilities: The crypt will be used for a post-service café.

Next Steps

The next formal meeting will be scheduled for a date following the bank holiday.

Minutes of the Fifth Infected Blood Memorial Committee Meeting – 21 April 2026

Attendees

Infected Blood Memorial Committee Committee Secretariat Committee Membership and Governance 

The Chair welcomed Susan Harris as the new Vice-Chair and David Abdo as a Committee member and discussed ways of working. 

National Memorial Principles 

The Committee reviewed draft principles for the national memorial and agreed to consider the updated draft further ahead of a community webinar at a date to be confirmed after the service at St Paul’s cathedral. The community will be informed of the details of the webinar via our mailing list.

St Paul’s Cathedral Service Planning 

The Committee reviewed logistical preparations for the St Paul’s service in May and an updated order of service, including the reading of names and the proposed seating plan for the service on 19 May 2026, which prioritises seating for the infected and affected community. The plan includes symbolic empty seats to represent those unable to attend. 

Members noted the latest position on attendance and agreed to seek high-profile ministerial presence and musical tributes.

Next Steps

The next meeting of the Infected Blood Memorial Committee is scheduled for 7 May 2026.

Minutes of the Fourth Infected Blood Memorial Committee Meeting 24 March 2026

Attendees

• Infected Blood Memorial Committee
• Committee Secretariat
• UK Government
• Scottish Government
• Northern Ireland Executive

Apologies

• Welsh Government

National Memorial Principles and Location

The Committee discussed  a draft set of principles for the memorial. These principles will serve to articulate the purpose of the memorial and will be put to the community for further comment.The Committee agreed that the draft principles should be considered further at the next Committee meeting. 

The Committee agreed that it did not feel it had undertaken sufficient engagement with the community to begin taking key decisions on the national memorial’s location, and agreed that a further round of engagement was needed. It agreed that the best way to do this would be via a webinar, followed by a survey of the community. The community will be informed of the details of the webinar via our mailing list.

The Committee also noted that the Infected Blood Inquiry mailing list would be unavailable after 31 March 2026, as the Inquiry closes down.

St. Paul’s Cathedral Service Planning

The Committee discussed music options for the upcoming service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, noting that there will be space in the order of service for two performances. The Committee agreed upon the importance of “Read All About It” by Emeli Sande as a song of great significance to the community, and the community will be consulted on elements of the order of service via a survey in the coming days.

The Committee deliberated on the reading of names during the service acknowledging the sensitivity of this element, the Committee agreed to explore further options.

Treloar’s Memorial

The Treloars Memorial Committee shared an update via correspondence on the progress that is being made in regards to the Treloar’s Memorial. The production of the bronze will begin this week at the foundry and is expected to take around 12 weeks. 

Next Steps

The next meeting of the Infected Blood Memorial Committee is scheduled for 21 April 2026.

Minutes of the Third Infected Blood Memorial Committee Meeting 19 February 2026

Attendees

• Infected Blood Memorial Committee
• Committee Secretariat
• UK Government
• Scottish Government
• Welsh Government
• Northern Ireland Executive

National Memorial Location Options

The Committee discussed their early thinking regarding the establishment of a national memorial, and reflected on the feedback already received from the community. that the decision on a location should be taken before commissioning a design.  

The Committee did not feel it had undertaken sufficient consultation with the community to take high level decisions on where the national memorial should be located. They agreed to engage the community to gather further views about a national memorial’s location. The Committee also agreed to draft a set of principles to help articulate what the memorial should do and convey, and put this to the community for comment.

The Committee discussed whether memorials should be built in all 4 nations of the UK, as per the Inquiry’s recommendation to consider this, and the Committee unanimously agreed that there should.

St. Paul’s sub-Committee Decisions

The Committee discussed the invite list for St. Paul’s, noting that this is a highly sensitive area, with a view to sending out formal invitations in early March. The Committee also agreed its approach to covering attendees’ expenses, observing that this should be limited to infected and affected attendees, and that this should be an opt-in approach to ensure that those claiming expenses are those who need to.

The Committee discussed ideas for the order of service and provided some steers ahead of a meeting with the Cathedral events planning team. The Committee agreed to consult the community on elements of the service, to ensure that the event is designed by the community, for the community.

The Committee agreed not to hold a formal post-service reception, due to unavailability of suitable locations to host everyone. Instead, the Cathedral will be open for an hour prior to the event, and remain open for an hour after.  Community groups will be encouraged to organise gatherings.

The Committee agreed that the service should be recorded, and should attract an element of media coverage.

Next Steps

The Committee agreed to meet in person in Manchester at its next meeting on March 24 2026.

Minutes of the Second Infected Blood Memorial Committee Meeting 22 January 2026

Attendees

• Infected Blood Memorial Committee
• Committee Secretariat
• UK Government
• Scottish Government
• Welsh Government 
• Northern Ireland Executive 
• Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission (Guest Speaker)

Apologies: Apologies were received from two members.

Introductions

The Chair welcomed the Committee and introduced the representative from the Treloars Memorial Committee who would be attending meetings for a six-month period. It was noted that a representative from the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission would attend part of the meeting to share their experiences of community engagement and memorialisation.

Final Clearance of Terms of Reference

The Committee reviewed and agreed to the updated Terms of Reference following the December meeting.  This will now be published on GOV.UK with the updated approval date, 22 January 2026.

Memorial Service at St Paul’s Cathedral

The Committee discussed the memorial service at St Paul’s on 19 May.  The Committee noted feedback from some parts of the infected blood community regarding the timing of the service in relation to compensation, the choice of venue, and the involvement of the Government.

The Committee discussed the importance of clear communication about ownership of the service and ensuring the service feels personal to the community. It was noted that over 1,000 people had already registered for the event. The Committee unanimously agreed that the service should proceed at St Paul’s Cathedral on 19 May. 

To facilitate progress, the Committee agreed to establish a sub-committee to lead on the planning of the service, which will report back to the full Committee. 

Reflections on the Session with Art Lewry and Morag Wood

The Committee reflected on recent discussion they had with Art Lewry and Morag Wood, who facilitated the Church House event and collated the feedback shared by the community on memorialisation. The importance of establishing guiding principles was noted in particular. 

The Committee discussed the sequence of decision-making and noted that identifying a location is a priority before finalising design themes. It was agreed that the Secretariat would develop an initial paper on potential locations for the next meeting. The Committee also noted the need to manage “consultation fatigue” by being clear on how community views are being used to influence practical decisions.

Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission Presentation

The Committee received a presentation from a representative of the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission. They shared insights from their eight-year journey, emphasising the need for bespoke and inclusive community engagement.  The Grenfell Memorial Commission has 13 members: 6 bereaved, 3 survivors and 4 residents. This grouping ensured family members had the greater say, but allowed each group to still have their say. 

The Commission’s “vision statement” (PDF, 389KB) acted as a foundation for their work, and their approach to rigorous evidence-gathering to support decision-making. They also provided advice on long-term considerations, including the selection of materials, future ownership and maintenance of a memorial site.

Forward Look

The Committee will meet again in February, with a view to:

• discussing a paper on potential memorial locations
• reviewing the timeline for the memorial build
• receiving an update from the St Paul’s service sub-committee
• reviewing the breakdown of costs for the Church House event

Minutes of the First Infected Blood Memorial Committee Meeting 9 December 2025

Attendees

• Infected Blood Memorial Committee
• Committee Secretariat
• Scottish Government
• Welsh Government
• Northern Ireland Executive

Ways of working

• The Committee agreed to meet once per month, with scope to increase the frequency where needed. The next meeting will be held in the week commencing 19 January 2026.
• The Committee requested an in-depth discussion on the expectations of the design and build timeline, which will take place in January.
• The Committee discussed the Terms of Reference (which will be published once agreed) and requested minor amendments be made to reflect the importance of the Treloar’s memorial, and those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Church House Washup

• Following the Church House event, the feedback from the community was summarised and presented to the Committee. This was discussed by the Committee, with a further session to be held in January, led by Art Lewry and Morag Wood.
• The Committee noted the conflicting opinions across a number of topics that appeared in the community feedback, such as location and design.
• The Committee discussed the importance of agreeing a location in principle as early in the process, given the difficulties in securing a location that other memorials have encountered.
• The Committee agreed to liaise with other memorial committees to understand the processes they undertook to establish their memorials.

Service of Remembrance

• The Committee noted that a number of decisions will need to be taken quickly to ensure that the service is bespoke and feels personal to the community, and the Committee will discuss the options for the service in detail in January.
• The Committee agreed to send out an update on its work, and a form through which members of the community can register their interest in attending the service, by the end of 2025. This update has now been published and can be viewed here: Infected Blood Memorial Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Tuesday 19 May 2026.

Forward Look

• The Committee will meet again in January, with a view to:
  • discussing the feedback from Church House in more detail
  • formally agreeing the Terms of Reference
  • taking decisions on the Memorial Service at St Paul’s Cathedral
  • exploring a possible timeline for the design and build phases of the memorial