It was with great sadness that we announced recently that Paul M Fuller CBE QFSM MStJ DL, Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Fire Fighters Charity, had passed away peacefully following a short illness, on the morning of 7th June 2021.
Paul was a truly valued supporter of The Fire Fighters Charity for many years, and will be greatly missed by all of us.
Paul was elected Chair of the Board of Trustees in November 2020, having been associated with the Trustee Board from December 2015 when he was first co-opted and later appointed by our Company Members as a Trustee.
Prior to that, Paul – as Chief Fire Officer, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the then President of the Chief Fire Officers Association – led a ‘Peer Challenge’ review of The Fire Fighters Charity, focusing on supporting the continuation of our journey of improvement and learning by providing a ‘practitioner perspective’ and ‘critical friend’ challenge.
As a member of the Trustee Board, Paul brought his knowledge and experience to the Staff & Governance Committee and subsequently became Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee.
Paul was a dedicated supporter of The Fire Fighters Charity on a personal level too, engaging in a wide range of fundraising activities, culminating in his ascent of Kilimanjaro in 2019. He was a key driver of positive ambition for us and working alongside him, there was a real sense of positive determination to take the Charity to new heights.
As we acknowledge our own great loss, our thoughts and sincere condolences go out to Paul’s wife Helen and daughter Jessica, his family, friends and colleagues at Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service at this very sad time.