Find out how Fire Fighters Charity has supported service users across the UK and how you can share your story with the fire community. Click categories or regions below to filter the list of stories.
Recently-retired London and North Yorkshire firefighter Stuart Rye cycled the four compass points of mainland Britain for his Fire Family Challenge. And it made him reflect on his own journey with mental health. When London firefighter Kieran Egan's son needed extensive surgery to remove tumours from his ears, the charity provided financial support so travel and accommodation could be one less thing to worry about. Only a few hours into a holiday in Magaluf in the summer of 2016, the course of James Thorpe’s life was altered in just a few seconds when he ran into the sea, fell, and broke his neck. Here, the former London Firefighter, who transferred to Norfolk a year before his accident, shares his story. As a word of warning, some readers may find the following distressing.
Former London Fire Brigade firefighter Ernie Marshall sought physical support from Harcombe House for a shoulder injury he sustained on a skiing holiday, after being told he had advanced prostate cancer. Now he says he just wants to improve his fitness for whatever time he has left. After injuring his knee, London firefighter Mark Watson had to take time off and undergo surgery. We caught up with him at Marine Court.
Stuart: “You have to just keep focusing on the road in front”
Kieran: “I could rely on the charity while my family relied on me”
James: “You don’t think you’ll ever need help. I certainly never thought I would.”
Ernie: “Never give up, that’s what I say.”
Mark: “They know their stuff, the support is brilliant.”
