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.
When Waddesdon Watch Commander Mark Richards was hit by a drunk driver while driving his motorcycle in 2016, his life was changed forever. Now, two years after the incident, his future as a firefighter remains unclear. But he is grateful for the progress he is making, thanks to his time with The Fire Fighters Charity. As the Health, Fitness and Wellbeing Advisor for Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, Fiona Prew is no stranger to signposting people to the Charity to help them with their recovery. But when hit by a car while riding her bicycle and left with potentially life-changing injuries, she admits it took her longer than it ought to have done for her to consider asking for help herself. Realising recovery from surgery couldn't be an overnight fix was the biggest lesson Sheffield Crew Manager Paul Holbrook took away from his time with The Fire Fighters Charity. That and how much he appreciated having his family around him to cheer him on. Chris Morrison is on a mission to prove that having a colostomy bag is not life-inhibiting. So much so, the Northern Irish temporary Watch Commander is trekking the Sahara Desert this autumn, to raise money for the Charity as a way of saying thank you for helping him with his recovery. When Peter Miles was invited to spend time at Jubilee House to help him with post-illness-and-surgery recovery he had no idea he would also experience a 'eureka moment' about his own mental health battles as well.
Mark: “You have to enjoy your achievements where you can”
Fiona: “I kick myself for leaving it so long before I called for myself”
Paul: “I realised recovery isn’t an overnight thing.”
Chris: “You helped me realise having a stoma isn’t the end of the world”
Peter: “I realised I thought I was broken”
