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.
Steve Bartlett, his brother, their father and their uncle have all worked as on-call firefighters at the same station, now and in the past – and Steve says we’ve supported them throughout most of that time. 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. Helen’s life completely changed in 2019 when her firefighter partner, Paul, was left needing 24-hour care following a horrific assault. She says, thanks to your donations, she’s been able to access vital support since. Paul Astle, who was a firefighter with South Yorkshire FRS for 18 years, was his wife’s full-time carer for several years. He says spending time on our online Living Well Groups became a break he really needed in the pandemic. Alan Swales has joined our online Living Well Groups after supporting us for decades. He says they have helped him with increasing loneliness during the pandemic, as he cared single-handedly for his wife.
Steve: “On-call firefighting runs in our family – your donations have helped us through hard times”
Joan: “The befriending calls I’ve had from you are wonderful, I couldn’t do without them”
Helen: “My partner needs 24-hour care – your donations helped me support my family”
Paul: “The Living Well Groups offer that bit of escapism when you’re feeling lonely”
Alan: “Your donations and support ensured I wasn’t alone throughout the pandemic”
