David and Karen: “How do we find the words to say thank you?”

Scottish firefighter David Kerr has raised the most amount of money by any individual during our Fire Family Challenge. He and his wife, Karen, turned a negative into a positive to say thank you to the charity for the support we showed them during the toughest months of their lives.

Jamie: “This was our torch to hold up against the darkness.”

Six months ago, Berkshire firefighter Jamie Reeve's brother was hurt in an incident and remains in a critical condition in hospital. In the months that followed, our Welfare Services team have supported the family as they come to terms with their uncertain future. And when the coronavirus threatened their wedding day, Jamie and his partner, Charlotte, took matters into their own hands and got married in their back garden, just the two of them.

Carla: “I hope Jim is proud of me. I like to think he is.”

It has been 11 years since Hampshire firefighters Jim Shears and Alan Bannon were killed in a fire in Shirley Towers, Southampton. For Jim’s widow, Carla, running and fundraising for the charity that supported her family in the aftermath of the tragedy became an important part of her healing.

Paul: “I realised recovery isn’t an overnight thing.”

Realising recovery from surgery couldn't be an overnight fix was the biggest lesson Sheffield Crew Manager Paul Holbrook took away from his time with Fire Fighters Charity. That and how much he appreciated having his family around him to cheer him on.