Angela: “We were all there with a common bond and looked after each other”

Angela: “We were all there with a common bond and looked after each other”

Nervous at meeting strangers and unwilling to discuss the factors that led to her breakdown, firefighter's partner Angela Bell was reluctant to accept the offer of a stay at Harcombe House. But the friends she made became her support network in more ways than she could have imagined, and restored her faith in humanity.

Claire: “If you can’t ask for yourself, do it for your loved ones”

Claire: “If you can’t ask for yourself, do it for your loved ones”

A last-minute stay at Marine Court gave single parent Claire Allen and her son Josh the time and space they needed to find peace, both with themselves and each other. Here the former retained firefighter from Devizes shares why she thinks people should cast aside embarrassment and ask for help when they need it.

Peter: “I realised I thought I was broken”

Peter: “I realised I thought I was broken”

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.

Andrew: “With my autism, I didn’t used to speak. But the fire service helped”

Andrew: “With my autism, I didn’t used to speak. But the fire service helped”

Andrew Impey is a remarkable young man. Not only is he raising money for The Fire Fighters Charity by trying to visit all fire stations in the UK, but as an autistic teenager, he is also raising awareness of the disability among the fire and rescue community. He tells us all about the journey his One Lad’s Challenge has taken him on.