The Fire Brigade Union (FBU) is donating all money raised from the Firefighters 100 Lottery throughout June to charities and projects working in support of Grenfell survivors and the firefighters who responded to the disaster. The plans come in a bid to mark the first anniversary of the Grenfell disaster, which happened on 14 June 2017.
Seventy two people lost their lives when flames engulfed the 24-storey building in the worst fire in the UK since the Second World War. Fire engines from across London attended the scene, which many described as a ‘war zone’.
Since then, the Firefighters 100 Lottery has donated £40,000 to causes including Kids on the Green, Solidarity Sports and the Dale Youth Boxing Club. They are also campaigning to break the silence surrounding the mental health of firefighters following their involvement with horrific incidents, like Grenfell.
Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said: “The FBU is campaigning on a wide variety of fronts to keep Grenfell at the forefront of politicians’ minds and are committed to getting justice for all those affected. We are working with and helping local campaigns in support of Grenfell and want all proceeds from the Firefighters 100 Lottery throughout June to contribute.”
“This isn’t just in support of the survivors and the community but the brave men and women who attended the fire, many of whom are still dealing with the traumatic aftermath of the event. We’re hoping the public will get behind us with the campaign so we can continue supporting those who need us”.
You can get involved by joining the Firefighters 100 Lottery at www.firefighters100lottery.co.uk . At least 50p from every £1 ticket you buy will be spent on supporting the causes of the lottery. There are also three guaranteed cash winners each week, up to a maximum of £25,000.
Born out of plans to mark the centenary of the FBU, the lottery was launched in November 2016 and has raised over £180,000 to support firefighters, their bereaved families and to honour the bravery and sacrifice of firefighters killed in the line of duty
