Ahead of the 80th anniversary of VE-Day, a nationwide tour is being launched with a commemorative concert at Coventry Cathedral on Friday 2 May, hosted by Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden and further VIPs in attendance.

The concert marks the start of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s ‘For Evermore Tour’, an interactive mobile exhibition that will travel across the UK as part of commemorative events for VE-Day.

The Commonwealth War Graves Torch for Peace will also be part of commemorative events, an enduring symbol of peace and the importance of passing down the legacy of commemoration to future generations. After starting its journey in Coventry, it will lead the procession on Whitehall on VE-Day, before travelling to Buckingham Palace and continuing to sites around the UK and then the world, passed between generations to honour the legacy of those who gave their lives.

Eighty years on from the end of the Second World War, this is a moment to pause and reflect on the human cost of war. As first-hand accounts of the Second World War fade from living memory, we must ensure the act of commemoration continues onto future generations, before they are lost forever.