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.
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. Reading firefighter Danny Wheeler spent years battling with the long-term effects of chronic pain on his physical and mental health. Then a series of close bereavements left him feeling like he had nothing left to live for. His decision to contact The Fire Fighters Charity is one, he says, saved his life. When Hayward's Heath firefighter Mark Butler passed away in May, he left behind him a legacy that will never be forgotten in Sussex. His daughter, Megan, shares how the Charity helped her process her grief in the months that followed, and why she'll always see West Sussex Fire and Rescue as her extended family. While recovering from surgery, Hampshire firefighter Stu Vince had an experience that haunted him for eight years, leading to him being diagnosed with severe anxiety, depression and PTSD. Now he's using his own story to inspire other people to open up about their own mental health issues. Andrew Impey is a remarkable young man. Not only is he raising money for The Fire Fighters Charity by trying to visit all fire stations in the UK, but as an autistic teenager, he is also raising awareness of the disability among the fire and rescue community. He tells us all about the journey his One Lad’s Challenge has taken him on.
Carla: “I hope Jim is proud of me. I like to think he is.”
Danny: “Being at Harcombe changed everything for me”
Megan: “I had to relearn who I was, not just the girl whose dad had died”
Stu: “I’m more able to discuss mental health with my fire colleagues”
Andrew: “With my autism, I didn’t used to speak. But the fire service helped”
