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

Published 4 February 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