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 work-related stress saw Ben Fildes' childhood dream of being a firefighter come tumbling down around him, he was at breaking point. Afraid he would be told to 'man up' for talking about his feelings, two weeks spent at Jubilee House taught him not to be afraid to ask for help. Ten years later, he reflects on how far he has come. As the wife of a former Devon and Somerset firefighter, Dawn Colton says she will be forever grateful that her husband had somewhere to turn for help while on the verge of a breakdown. Having left his role as an Oxfordshire firefighter nearly 30 years ago, Mark Fussell didn't think he deserved help from The Fire Fighters Charity after a catastrophic car crash in October 2017. But he was quickly proven wrong. For former Royal Berkshire firefighter and double amputee Richard Baldwin, whatever life has thrown at him, his wife Sue has been at his side. We sit down with the pair to hear how the Charity has supported both their physical and mental needs, and how it all culminated in a Royal visit... While recovering from surgery, Hampshire firefighter Stu Vince had an experience that haunted him for eight years, leading to him being diagnosed with severe anxiety, depression and PTSD. Now he's using his own story to inspire other people to open up about their own mental health issues. 
Ben: “It’s not a weakness to ask for help”
Lee & Dawn: “It gave our family some laughter we’d been struggling to find at the time”
Mark: “It was a totally ordinary day until it wasn’t.”
Richard: “The Charity has saved my life, just as much as if they’d run in and dragged me out of a house fire.”
Stu: “I’m more able to discuss mental health with my fire colleagues”
