Redcliffe RSL has cancelled its 2020 Remembrance Day service due to COVID-19 restrictions
An RSL on the north side of Brisbane has announced it will not hold a Remembrance Day service this year due to strict COVID-19 guidelines.
Difficulties in complying with COVID-19 guidelines has led the Redcliffe RSL to make the tough decision to cancel this year’s Remembrance Day service.
Earlier this year all RSLs were forced to cancel their Anzac Day services due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Redcliffe RSL vice-president Cheryl Barrett said with restrictions easing and no new cases on the north side of Brisbane they had hoped to put on the service but that has now changed.
“The COVID-19 requirements mean if we had a service we would have to take everyone’s name, address and phone number which makes it untenable,” Ms Barrett said.
She said it was “very unfortunate”.
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“We haven’t been able to do our history much credit this year,” Ms Barrett said.
She said this news would hit local veterans the hardest.
“It makes it tough for them because there is nothing official to help them over that time,” she said.
“It is not a good time for everyone and remembering their mates is something that is very hard for a lot of veterans.”
Ms Barrett said she planned to put together a Remembrance Day slideshow for veterans that would be screened in the RSL’s museum on the day.
“At least they can sit down with their mates and have a look and remember,” she said.
Ms Barrett said the community’s response on Anzac Day was fantastic – with many holding dawn vigils on their driveways.
“We hope that everyone would pause at 11am and think of our fallen, it is something that a lot of people would do anyway,” she said.
Ms Barrett said she hoped that Anzac Day 2021 will be able to go ahead.