An incredible 27 fire service colleagues tackled this year’s Birmingham Half Marathon while wearing fire kit, raising over £11,500 to be split between Fire Fighters Charity and Cure Leukaemia.
The impressive group, made up of firefighters and a colleague from the Prevention Outreach Support Team of West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service, took to the city’s streets on 3 May with supporters lining the way to cheer them on.
Among them was West Midlands Watch Commander Adam Joyce, who has been supported by both charities through his recovery from blood cancer:
He said: “I was diagnosed with blood cancer early in my firefighting career and was supported by Cure Leukaemia throughout my treatment. I was then invited to Jubilee House, Fire Fighters Charity’s centre in Penrith, to support me during my recovery from intensive chemotherapy, and to build-up my strength to return to firefighting fitness.
“The friendships I made there, the tools I learned and the bespoke rehabilitation I received during the stay, have remained with me and continue to help me every day. Thanks to both charities, I was able to return to work and the things I love and to flourish in my firefighting career. I can’t thank them enough.”
After completing the race he told us: “Whilst completing the event was incredibly hard work, the support from the public was simply phenomenal, from all of those who so kindly donated money to the people lining the streets to cheer us on. This amounted to just a small ‘thank-you’ from our team to Fire Fighters Charity for the amazing work they do to support every member of the fire service family.”
Ellie Rocks, Director of Fundraising at Fire Fighters Charity, said: “We’re so grateful to Adam and every one of these inspirational individuals for taking on such a huge challenge in aid of us. The commitment and passion they showed were amazing to see and we are so grateful for their support.
Source: Adam Lote
“Thanks to fundraisers like this, we can continue to support members of our fire services community, from firefighters and control staff to retired colleague, their families and so many more, ensuring they can access vital care and support during and after their service.”
Every step these firefighters took has helped raise life-changing funds – and you can help too by supporting them here.