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.
Scottish firefighter David Gartland began struggling with his mental health following a relationship breakdown, resulting in him heavily drinking and gambling. He says getting in touch with us as soon as he realised he needed help was the best thing he could have done. LFB firefighter Wayne Jackson has received our support in the past for both his physical and mental health, and more recently attended one of our Child and Family Weeks – which he says helped his autistic son hugely. Firefighter Rachel Streeting, from Warwickshire FRS, received our support following a back injury which she feared could end her career on operational duty – and she says we helped her mental health, as well as physical. Sonia Cox is a Group Manager with West Midlands FRS. She says she’s spent years never showing possible signs of weakness at work, but attending our Reset Programme allowed her to share openly how she’s feeling. Keith and Gillian Lupton have visited Jubilee House, our centre in Cumbria, three times – providing Keith, who suffered a stroke, with one-to-one support from our Nursing team, while offering Gillian a break.
David: “I was hiding from the world and isolating myself – the Charity was a lifeline”
Wayne: “When you hit a brick wall you need a circuit breaker – the Charity helped us find that”
Rachel: “You helped me gain the mental confidence to carry my job out after recovery”
Sonia: “I’ve never wanted to be seen as weak, but here you realise it’s okay not to be okay”
Gillian: “I care for my husband full-time – visiting you is a much-needed break for both of us”
