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.
Becci Dickens, an Admin Support Officer with Shropshire FRS, has received our help for both her physical and mental health. She’s now hoping to spread the word round more non-uniform staff like herself. Firefighter Robert Cowie has received digital and face-to-face support from us following a Crohn’s disease diagnosis. Thanks to your donations, he’s now been able to return to work. This summer we are launching Fire Friends, a telephone befriending provision, offering social support and connection to our retired beneficiaries - and one of the first to try it is Joan O'Connor. Maria Smith’s husband, Rusty – who was an on-call firefighter for 31 years – passed away suddenly in May 2019. She’s now running the London Marathon in aid of us as a tribute to him and his colleagues. Scottish Station Commander, Bobby Lennox, joined one of our Hope Programmes with the intention of learning some new coping strategies to pass on to colleagues – but he says it helped his own mental wellbeing too.
Becci: “It’s a huge reassurance knowing I can pick up the phone and there’ll be somebody there”
Robert: “I’ve always donated but you don’t realise how much you may depend on it one day”
Joan: “The befriending calls I’ve had from you are wonderful, I couldn’t do without them”
Maria: “I’m running the Marathon to continue my husband’s legacy, to make a difference”
Bobby: “It’s about removing that stigma and going from being reactive to proactive”
