The life of Scottish missionary Jane Haining, who worked in Paisley and later died at Auschwitz, is to be commemorated at a special event in the town next week.
The event, led by UNISON, will take place in Paisley on Tuesday 27th January 2026.
It will include the screening of a new short film, Jane Haining: A Mission of Love, along with the launch of new educational resources for schools across Renfrewshire.
The commemoration is being organised by UNISON in partnership with Renfrewshire Council and the Church of Scotland, and will bring together trade unionists, school pupils, faith organisations and members of the local community.
Artwork will also be unveiled for a commemorative mural, which will later be installed at Brown’s Lane and Shuttle Street in Paisley.
Jane Haining worked at JP Coats Thread Mill in Ferguslie, Paisley, before becoming a missionary for the Church of Scotland in Hungary.
During the Nazi occupation, she refused to abandon the Jewish girls in her care. She was later arrested by the Gestapo and died at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1944.
UNISON says the event forms part of its ongoing work to raise awareness of Jane Haining’s life, values and sacrifice through education and community engagement.
The union also runs an annual Auschwitz study tour, where delegates learn about her story and attend a memorial service near the block where she was imprisoned.
UNISON convenor and Renfrewshire branch secretary Mark Ferguson will open the commemoration alongside Provost Lorraine Cameron.
A wreath will be laid, and members of Jane Haining’s family will lay candles in her memory.
The event will also feature performances by Renfrewshire school pupils, singer-songwriter Sharon Martin, and the PACE Theatre Group.
Mark Ferguson said: “Jane Haining’s story is one of compassion, bravery and an unshakeable commitment to protecting vulnerable children.
“This event brings together her family, local schools, community groups and trade unionists to ensure her sacrifice is remembered and understood.
“By sharing her story through film, education and public art, UNISON aims to ensure future generations understand where hatred can lead and why it’s important to stand up for others.”
Moderator of the Church of Scotland General Assembly Rt Rev Rosie Frew said: “We live in increasingly turbulent times and it is vitally important that people learn the lessons of history.
“That is why it is very welcome that a new film about Jane Haining has been made for schools in Renfrewshire and a mural commemorating her life will be installed in Paisley.
“She served as the matron at the Scottish Mission boarding school for girls in Budapest, Hungary, from 1932–1944. Jane was on holiday in the UK when the war broke out in 1939, but immediately returned to Budapest to be with ‘her’ girls, many of whom were Jews who had been orphaned or abandoned by their parents.
“A woman of tremendous courage, Jane was determined to continue doing her duty and stick to her post. She famously asked: ‘If these children need me in days of sunshine, how much more do they need me in days of darkness?’
“In addition to looking after vulnerable children who were persecuted due to an accident of birth, Jane and her colleagues taught domestic service management skills to Jewish women in the years between the Nazis coming to power in 1933 and war breaking out, to help them emigrate to the safety of the UK.
“She was fully aware of the incredible risks she was taking after the war started, but repeatedly refused Church of Scotland pleas to leave Budapest and return home.
“Jane was simultaneously an ordinary and extraordinary woman and her story is one of courage, heroism, decency and personal sacrifice, reminding us that when we feel powerless, there is always something that we can do.
“Her life is a fine example of service over self-interest and we hope that this new film will eventually be shown to pupils in all schools across Scotland to help keep the memory of Jane alive for generations to come.”
Headline Photo Credit: Church of Scotland