Mark Schofield Case Study WEB (7)

Real life story categories

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.

Jamie: “This was our torch to hold up against the darkness.”

Jamie: “This was our torch to hold up against the darkness.”

Six months ago, Berkshire firefighter Jamie Reeve's brother was hurt in an incident and remains in a critical condition in hospital. In the months that followed, our Welfare Services team have supported the family as they come to terms with their uncertain future. And when the coronavirus threatened their wedding day, Jamie and his partner, Charlotte, took matters into their own hands and got married in their back garden, just the two of them.

Carla: “I hope Jim is proud of me. I like to think he is.”

Carla: “I hope Jim is proud of me. I like to think he is.”

It has been 11 years since Hampshire firefighters Jim Shears and Alan Bannon were killed in a fire in Shirley Towers, Southampton. For Jim’s widow, Carla, running and fundraising for the Charity that supported her family in the aftermath of the tragedy became an important part of her healing.

Danny: “Being at Harcombe changed everything for me”

Danny: “Being at Harcombe changed everything for me”

Reading firefighter Danny Wheeler spent years battling with the long-term effects of chronic pain on his physical and mental health. Then a series of close bereavements left him feeling like he had nothing left to live for. His decision to contact The Fire Fighters Charity is one, he says, saved his life.