Find out how The Fire Fighters Charity has supported beneficiaries 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.
For retired firefighter Nigel Brown, the fire service has become ingrained in his family history. Now he reveals why he is gifting part of his father’s estate to the Charity, as a thank you for the years of support they’ve received. When Owen Spiers managed to overcome 20 years of addiction, he thought he’d finally beaten his demons. However, his mental health later hit rock bottom and he says the Charity was a major lifeline. When Will Parkinson was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, it sparked more than a decade of chronic pain. However, he says the support the Charity offered him has inspired a whole new life project to say thank you. When Sean Michael was forced to resign from the job he loved as a firefighter due to illness, he struggled to cope amid Covid-19. But he says the support he received from the Charity was life-changing. For firefighter Jim Johnson’s wife Karen, the Charity has supported her not once, but twice - more recently providing a much-needed break following a cancer diagnosis. Now she’s urging anyone else struggling to reach out.
Nigel: “The Charity helped our family, we wanted to give something back”
Owen: “It’s a safety net when you feel you’re going to step off the tight rope”
Will: “My illness wasn’t fire-related, but you still supported me 110%”
Sean: “I don’t know how we’d have survived without the Charity’s help”
Karen: “For me it was a bit of a lifeline – I’d recommend anyone reach out”
