What Holocaust Memorial Day Trust does

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) is a UK-registered charity (no. 1109348) and limited company (05415454) established in 2005 by the UK Government to promote and support Holocaust Memorial Day across the United Kingdom. It coordinates the annual UK National Commemorative Ceremony on 27 January at Sinfonia Smith Square in Westminster, broadcast on BBC One to approximately 2 million viewers, and supports more than 10,000 local commemorative activities each year across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its services are delivered to schools (primary, secondary, SEND), local authorities, workplaces, faith organizations, museums, prisons, and the general public, with all educational resources, films, life stories, and guidance materials provided free of charge.

The organization's product portfolio centers on an Educational Resources Hub (life stories, films, images, lesson plans, assemblies, activity templates, booklets), a Memorial Pages digital tribute platform (hmd.mykeeper.com), the interactive 'Ordinary Objects Extraordinary Journeys' website co-developed with The National Holocaust Centre and Museum and the Jewish Museum of Greece, the HMD Harmony music competition for emerging musicians aged 18-25, the Light the Darkness national candle-lighting campaign illuminating 200+ landmarks, the Next Gen Ambassador Programme for 18-25 year-olds, and a Schools Programme with a secondary school competition. The underlying technology stack includes a content-rich website, MailChimp for newsletter distribution, Enthuse for donation processing, and Salesforce for activity submission management; no public API or mobile application exists.

HMDT operates a non-commercial, government-funded business model with a freemium cost structure: all resources are provided at no charge to participants. Revenue derives from four streams: primary grant funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (since 2007); additional funding from regional governments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (since 2019); trust and foundation grants (since 2019); and individual donations including a 'Friend of HMDT' monthly programme, in-memory donations, and legacy bequests. Its leadership comprises Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE as Chief Executive (also sitting on the IHRA Committee on the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity), Sir Sajid Javid as Chair, and Lord Pickles as Honorary Vice President and UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues.

Name

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust

Legal name

Holocaust Memorial Day Trust

Website

https://hmd.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UK Government-established charity promoting Holocaust Memorial Day across the UK. It coordinates the annual national commemorative ceremony, distributes free educational resources, and supports 10,000+ local activities annually for schools, communities, workplaces, and faith organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Holocaust Commemoration and Genocide Education Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Monuments, Statues & Memorials (THAJACAB)

Keywords

• Holocaust education
• Memorial commemoration
• Genocide awareness
• Survivor testimony
• Civic remembrance

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (previously Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) since 2007. Additional funding from regional governments.
2. Individual Donations: One-off and monthly donations from individual supporters, including 'Friend of HMDT' monthly giving programme and in-memory donations
3. Trust and Foundation Grants: Additional funding from trusts and foundations since 2019, enabling expansion of scope and reach throughout the UK
4. Legacy Gifts: Bequests and legacy donations left in wills to support the ongoing work of HMDT

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust coordinates and supports the UK's annual Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration on 27 January, centered on a UK National Commemorative Ceremony broadcast on BBC One and supported by a free Educational Resources Hub of downloadable life stories, films, lesson plans, and assemblies. It also operates the Memorial Pages digital tribute platform, the Light the Darkness national candle-lighting campaign, the HMD Harmony music competition, the Ordinary Objects Extraordinary Journeys interactive educational website, and the Next Gen Ambassador youth programme, distributing these resources free of charge to schools, local authorities, workplaces, museums, faith organizations, and the general public.

Product overview

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust operates as a charitable organization promoting and supporting Holocaust Memorial Day across the UK. The core offering consists of the annual UK National Commemorative Ceremony held on 27 January, complemented by an extensive Educational Resources Hub providing free downloadable materials including life stories, films, images, lesson plans, and activity templates. Additional products include the Memorial Pages digital platform for creating tributes, the Light the Darkness campaign for candle lighting moments, and the HMD Harmony music competition for emerging artists. Targeted programmes serve Schools (Primary, Secondary, SEND), Youth (under-25s with the Next Gen Ambassador Programme), and general public audiences. Educational content covers the Holocaust, Nazi persecution, and subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UK National Commemorative Ceremony Annual national ceremony held on 27 January at Sinfonia Smith Square in Westminster, London, bringing together the Royal Family, political and faith leaders, Holocaust survivors, and communities across the UK to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. Broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer, reaching approximately 2 million viewers annually.
• Educational Resources Hub Comprehensive library of free downloadable educational resources including life stories, films, images, lesson plans, assemblies, activity templates, poems, posters, and booklets, made available for schools, youth groups, and organizations to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
• Life Stories Collection Extensive collection of survivor testimonies and stories of those murdered during the Holocaust and genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, suitable for educational use and commemoration.
• Ordinary Objects Extraordinary Journeys Interactive website developed with The National Holocaust Centre and Museum and the Jewish Museum of Greece, retracing the steps of six people whose lives were altered by Nazi persecution through their possessions.
• Memorial Pages Platform Digital platform allowing users to create lasting tributes for individuals who endured persecution or were murdered during the Holocaust and subsequent genocides, honoring their memory with personalized memorial pages.
• Light the Darkness Campaign Annual national campaign encouraging people across the UK to light candles in their windows at 8pm on 27 January to remember victims and stand against prejudice and hatred.
• HMD Harmony Music Competition UK-wide competition for emerging musicians and composers aged 18-25 to create original musical responses to the annual HMD theme, with winners featured in the national ceremony and awarded £500.
• HMDT Next Gen Ambassador Programme Structured training programme for 18-25 year olds to become ambassadors for Holocaust education and remembrance, with the inaugural cohort graduating in May 2026.
• Holocaust and Genocide Education Content Comprehensive educational content covering the Holocaust, Nazi persecution of other groups, and genocides in Cambodia (1975-1979), Rwanda (1994), Bosnia (1995), and Darfur (2003-2005), including historical context, survivor stories, and contemporary relevance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 local activities take place annually across the UK
• +2 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Buckingham Palace / Royal HouseholdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Their Royal Highnesses The Prince and Princess of Wales serve as Patrons. The King and Queen host events for Holocaust survivors at Buckingham Palace to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
• BBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroadcast partner for the UK National Commemorative Ceremony. The ceremony is broadcast on BBC One and iPlayer, reaching 2 million viewers and bringing Holocaust remembrance into homes across the UK.
• International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHMDT is a proud member of the UK delegation to IHRA, an intergovernmental body with 31 member countries working to promote Holocaust education, research, and remembrance. HMDT's Chief Executive sits on the Committee on the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity.
• The National Holocaust Centre and MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the development of 'Ordinary Objects Extraordinary Journeys' interactive website, tracing the journeys of possessions belonging to Holocaust victims.
• Jewish Museum of GreececoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the development of 'Ordinary Objects Extraordinary Journeys' interactive website in collaboration with The National Holocaust Centre and Museum.
• HMD Partnership GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of partner organizations that collaborate to support and promote local Holocaust Memorial Day activities across the UK.
• March of the LivingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHMDT joined the March of the Living in Poland in April 2026, participating in this commemorative event remembering Holocaust victims.
• Royal United Services InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted the graduation ceremony for the inaugural cohort of the Next Gen Ambassador Programme at their London venue.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• US Holocaust Memorial Museum: The United States' national Holocaust memorial museum in Washington, D.C. It is the most direct international analogue to HMDT: a government-mandated national institution that combines a museum, educational resource production, survivor testimony archives, and a national commemoration day with mass-media reach.
• Yad Vashem: Israel's official Holocaust remembrance authority, encompassing the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, museum, archives, research institute, and educational programmes. Closely comparable to HMDT in mandate (national remembrance body), content production (life stories, films, educational resources), and international coordination role.
• Jewish Museum London: UK museum focused on Jewish history and culture, including the Holocaust, located in Camden. Comparable in operating a London-based heritage and education institution serving schools and the public, with overlap in audience segments (faith organizations, schools, cultural tourists) and Holocaust programming.
• Anne Frank House: Museum and educational organization operating from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, dedicated to preserving Anne Frank's legacy and combating antisemitism. Comparable in operating a memorial site combined with school-targeted educational programmes, exhibitions, and international outreach — a similar blended heritage-and-education model.
• Holocaust Educational Trust: UK-based charity dedicated to Holocaust education, particularly through school visits to Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Lessons from Auschwitz project. Operates in the same UK market, same Holocaust education vertical, and same school/young-person segment as HMDT — making it the closest direct domestic peer.
• Wiener Holocaust Library: The UK's oldest Holocaust archive and institute, based in London. Comparable to HMDT in its focus on survivor testimony collection, educational programming, and serving as a national resource for Holocaust scholarship — though operating a physical archive rather than coordinating a national commemoration day.
• March of the Living: Annual educational programme that brings students and survivors to Auschwitz-Birkenau to march on Yom HaShoah. Direct partner of HMDT (HMDT participated in April 2026) and highly comparable in mobilizing youth delegations, coordinating international commemoration events, and Holocaust education delivery.
• National Holocaust Centre and Museum: UK's national Holocaust museum and education centre in Nottinghamshire, operated by a charitable trust. Direct partner of HMDT (co-developer of the Ordinary Objects Extraordinary Journeys platform), and comparable in producing survivor testimony resources, school educational materials, and immersive learning experiences.

Others

• International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA): Intergovernmental body of 31 member countries coordinating Holocaust education, remembrance, and research globally. HMDT is a UK delegation member and its CEO sits on IHRA's Committee on the Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity — making IHRA both a coordinating partner and the closest governance-level peer.

Broad incumbents

• Imperial War Museums: UK national museum group covering conflicts from World War I onward, including a permanent Holocaust Exhibition. Comparable as a government-supported national heritage and education institution serving UK schools and the public, though with a much broader conflict-remembrance mandate rather than Holocaust specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCic0vlMrZtxDml4N_OW0gBQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/HMD.UK
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hmd-uk
• Instagraminstagram.com/holocaustmemorialdaytrust
• Xx.com/HMD_UK

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Holocaust Memorial Day Trust