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.
Deputy Chair of our Board of Trustees, Neil Gibbins, shares how he reached out for mental health support himself after being diagnosed with inoperable cancer – before attending our Reset Programme. Scottish Crew Commander Ewan Diven took on a huge challenge in 2023 of 365 cold water therapy dips, to raise funds for us and spread the word about how our support helped him. When Simon Porter, a firefighter with Essex County FRS, was involved in a horror paramotoring accident, he thought it spelled the end of his career. Here, he and his wife Gemma share how we helped him get back on the run - and boost his mental wellbeing in the process. Firefighter Luke Kavanagh shares how he began his journey to improve his mental wellbeing by visiting our app – My Fire Fighters Charity – before getting in touch with us for further counselling support. They’re there for us at the end of the phone when we need them, but many may not be aware of the mental toll working in Control Rooms can have. Here, Melanie Gibb shares why having our support available is essential for her and her colleagues.
Neil: “We’ve both been in a very dark place – seeing the support available has been awe-inspiring”
Ewan: “I wish I’d got in touch sooner than I did, it’s never too early… it changed my life”
Gemma: “My husband came home a different person – this is my thank you to you”
Luke: “I’d been keeping it all to myself for so long – talking to someone helped unload my mind”
Melanie: “Control has exceptionally high stress levels – the Charity is more important than ever”
