Summary

  • Today is the UK's first national day for those impacted by terrorism, including survivors and their families, witnesses and the emergency services

  • There will be a ceremony for victims of terror, and readings from people affected by it, in London this afternoon - you'll be able to watch live above

  • A two-minute silence will be observed to remember those lost to terrorism

  • An art installation, made of 1,000 paper cranes carrying messages to someone affected by a terror attack, has been set up at the ceremony

  • In future years, the event will be staged in other locations around the UK

  • If you're affected by any of the issues in this page then support and help is available at BBC Action Line

Live Reporting

Edited by Kieran Kelly and Craig Hoyle, with Guy Lambert and Nick Johnson at the ceremony in central London

  1. Compensation scheme not up to scratch, victims say

    Ewan Somerville
    BBC News

    Several of those who campaigned for a national day for terror victims and survivors still feel more needs to be done.

    A report, released on Friday by the Survivors Against Terror (SAT), says while psychological support for victims had improved, no progress had been made to the state compensation scheme for terror victims, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

    SAT's co-founder Brendan Cox, whose wife MP Jo Cox was murdered by a neo-Nazi in 2016, welcomes the national day but warns "survivors also want it to be a moment of accountability".

    Candles surround a photo of Labour MP Jo CoxGetty Images

    Labour MP Jo Cox was fatally stabbed and shot before a constituency surgery in 2016

    Lisa Ghiggini, who survived the London Bridge attack in 2019, says: "At the moment we still have members who don't have the resources to build a downstairs toilet following attacks that have left them struggling to walk".

    The Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for the taxpayer-funded scheme, where victims self-classify the type of incident, says £180m was paid out last year for all types of violent crime including terrorism.

  2. Mother of Manchester Arena victim says ceremony will bring up 'mixed emotions'

    Figen Murray, the mother of Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017, says today "will bring people together who often feel isolated".

    She tells BBC Breakfast the man who carried out the attack that killed her son "may as well have detonated his bomb in our living room" as every member of the family has been "really affected" and "changed" by it.

    The ceremony in London today will bring up "mixed emotions", she says, but "everybody can share their story and get together, and that's really important".

    If you're affected by any of the issues in this page then support and help is available at BBC Action Line.

  3. Before the ceremony, this art installation displays hope for peace

    Guy Lambert
    Society reporter

    Paper cranes in a line down from the ceiling

    Here at the ceremony in central London, a stunning installation has been created using paper cranes.

    Inspired by the story of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who became a victim of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, this installation of 1,000 paper cranes has been made by, or for, a person affected by a terrorist attack.

    All of the cranes are made in the same way but each holds an individual significance for the person that created it. Some include private messages and prayers, while others have been decorated.

    They have been sent for far and wide, representing attacks that have taken place all over the world. All in the combined hope for peace.

  4. 'Why survivors like me shouldn't be forgotten'

    Ewan Somerville
    BBC News

    'We were incredibly lucky': Survivor Travis Frain

    Travis Frain campaigned for this day for nearly five years.

    On March 2017, his life changed forever after attacker Khalid Masood drove his car into crowds, killing four, before stabbing a police officer to death outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London.

    At the time, Frain was a 19-year-old student on a university trip to the capital. He was snapping a photo of Big Ben when the car started speeding towards him.

    "One of the guys in my group shouted 'look out' and as I looked up from my phone, the terrorist's car was in front of me. It was a split second really before the car hit me," Frain, now 28, tells the BBC.

    Frain feels it is "morally correct that we should be remembering those lost to terrorism".

    Victims are "often not targeted as individuals but as representatives of something far greater - the nation, the nation's values; the values we're all meant to hold, I'm sure", he says.

    You can read more of Frain's story here.

  5. What is the national day for victims and survivors - and how can I get involved?

    People observing a minutes silence in Manchester in honour of the 2017 London Bridge terror attack victimsPA Media

    People observing a minutes silence in Manchester in honour of the 2017 London Bridge terror attack victims

    The idea for a national day for terror victims and survivors came about after a Home Office review found many people needed more support.

    The government took recommendations from the review's findings on the importance of paying tribute to those impacted by terrorism, and introduced a national day. It also implemented a dedicated support hub for victims and survivors.

    Today's event will focus on raising awareness about the specialist support available, sharing stories from victims and survivors, and educating the public about the history and impacts of terrorism.

    The day will take place on 21 August each year, which aligns with the UN International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, which was established by the UN General Assembly in 2017.

    The government website lists some ways that people across the country can get involved, from lighting a remembrance candle at home, to donating to a victims’ charity or attending a local memorial.

  6. UK marks first national day for victims and survivors of terrorism

    Adam Goldsmith
    Live reporter

    Dusk on Westminster bridge after the 2017 terror attack. Candles are lined up along the wall and the Houses of Parliament are in the backgroundPA Media

    Westminster Bridge was the site of a terror attack in March 2017

    Today, the UK is observing its first national day for victims and survivors of terrorism.

    There will be a ceremony in London this afternoon, consisting of reflections and readings, including from members of the emergency services, and a two-minute silence.

    The event is set to begin at 14:30 BST and you’ll be able to watch live at the top of the page.

    As we build up to the ceremony, we’ll bring you comments from campaign groups, some of whom say more still needs to be done to support survivors of terror attacks.

    We’ll also be sharing the stories of people like Travis Frain. He was hit and left with multiple injuries when attacker Khalid Masood drove his car into crowds outside Parliament in 2017.

    Frain says he will "always" be affected by the attack, and "we all have a role to play" in stopping terrorism.