80 – Aug email

A look back at your 2023 fundraising highlights

You’ve made our 80th year one to remember, with challenges, events, parties and so much more – all while raising thousands for us. Thank you to all of you.

We’ve been celebrating our 80th anniversary year over the last 12 months with you, our dedicated supporters, by our side throughout.

And we want to thank each and every one of you who’s donated or organised a fundraising event or challenge in aid of us. Thanks to you, we’re now supporting more than 10,000 beneficiaries a year.

Below are just a few of your many fundraising highlights from throughout 2023. We can’t wait to see what you have in store for us next year!

January

The start of the year saw the return of our Bag it and Bank it Recycling Championship, where we asked our wonderful supporters to drop any unwanted clothing off in our recycling banks across the UK. And this year we achieved another record-breaking amount raised.

Our supporters donated 405 tonnes of unwanted clothes in January, raising a record-breaking £89,162 from fire stations alone. Meanwhile, when looking at all UK recycling points, including other community sites, the total stood at 457 tonnes overall – bringing in a grand total of £96,394.

Read more here.

See more of January’s highlights here.

February

In February, two Hampshire firefighters completed an epic challenge – having rowed across the Atlantic, battling extreme conditions over 64 days, to raise vital funds for us and mental health charity Solent Mind.

Read more here.

See more of February’s highlights here.

March

We kicked off March with our Car Wash Mega March which saw fire stations right across the UK organise around 126 car wash fundraisers for us.

Meanwhile, a confectionery company, Kinnerton, donated £1537.51 to us after fundraising throughout 2022.

See more of March’s highlights here.

April

Our supporters put their best foot forward in the 2023 London Marathon in April, including an incredible record-breaking challenge by Mark Peart.

And an inspirational group of more than 130 women from across more than 20 fire and rescue services teamed up to climb Snowdon in aid of us, raising thousands of pounds in the process. Read about that here.

A team of five cycled the equivalent of the height of Mount Everest as a thank you to the firefighters that helped rescue their friend following a road traffic collision.

And Spalding-based business Bakkavor generously donated £10,000 to us, as a thank you to local Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service crews who helped them during flash flooding in the area last year.

See more of April’s highlights here.

May

The run-up to summer saw 11-year-old William Gooch cycle 100 miles in aid of us, as a thank you to a firefighter who helped him following a football injury. Read his story here.

Elsewhere, a group of London firefighters from Walk & Talk 999, a men’s mental health walking group, walked 100km in aid of us and motor neurone disease research, to honour their friend’s wish: “Live every day the best you can”.

And in a very unique fundraiser, 15-year-old Heather Kent spent the whole of Lent going out with bin liners every day to clear litter from her community – in return for donations – despite having no connection to the fire service. What a star!

A group of apprentices from Royal Berkshire FRS cycled the equivalent distance of Windsor to Balmoral in aid of us, and Hover Travel held their own 80th Brew With A Crew for us on International Firefighters Day.

See more of May’s highlights here.

June

In a moving tribute this June, colleagues from across West Midlands FRS joined with community, friends and family to pay tribute to Crew Commander Iain Hughes, who tragically passed away while swimming the English Channel in aid of us and two other charities.

The same month, the West Firefighter Challenge saw competitors from across Wales come together for a series of challenges – and they raised £2000 in entry registrations and £747 on the day.

On the 16th of the month, brave 5-year-old Poppy – who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia last year – walked the Humber Bridge with her family in aid of us and as a tribute to her local crew. Meanwhile, Rachel Newbould, who is a doctor and has no direct connection to the fire service, took on the Welsh 3000s Challenge on 29-30 June in aid of us – climbing Wales’ 15 highest peaks within 24 hours.

Other fundraisers included an 80th garden party held by a couple as a thank you to their local crew for helping them following a house fire, and an entire Watch from Oxfordshire FRS running a continuous relay round every station in the county.

West Yorkshire FRS, meanwhile, donated a huge £20K to us from its internal lottery.

And fire cadets from across the UK teamed up throughout June to mark our 80th anniversary with a series of 999-themed fundraising challenges.

See more of June’s highlights here.

July

July kicked off with the British Firefighter Challenge – and this year’s competitors raised an incredible £7,146 for us.

A team of firefighters – named the Blazing Saddles – cycled 1,454 miles from Oldham’s Coliseum Theatre to Rome’s Colosseum in aid of us – and it took them just 12 days to complete the route. Read about that here.

And completing an incredible year of fundraising for us, Kent’s The Abbey School created a human ’80‘ to round-off the celebrations.

Our donors often show their support for person reasons, and Megan Gait, from South Wales, shared her delight at being reunited with the fire crew that rescued her following a car crash by donating £100.

South Yorkshire FRS donated an incredible £25,000 to us – its latest donation from its internal lottery, which has been running for almost three decades.

And a team of 10 firefighters ran the Ilkley Half Marathon in aid of us – with some of them taking part in full fire kit and BA.

Retired firefighter Alan Simcox, meanwhile, climbed Scafell Pike in aid of us, following a Parkinson’s diagnosis.

See more of July’s highlights here.

August

We celebrated our official 80th birthday this August and marked the occasion by sharing some of the incredible 80th fundraisers our supporters had organised. See those here.

And representatives from Fire and Rescue Services across the UK put their golfing skills to the test at this year’s Firefighters’ Charity Golf Cup – raising an incredible £5,295 in the process.

See more of August’s highlights here.

September

A team of Loughborough firefighters took on a static bike fundraiser in memory of their close friend and colleague, Andy Watt, while raising funds for us.

And the same month we saw runners out in force for this year’s Great North Run.

In an effort to forge those connections between home and work life, Avon FRS held a special Open Day dedicated to staff and their families and friends.

And our partners at Clyde Recycling raised a staggering £11,000 for us by organising a sports dinner, which included speeches from ex football players, a live auction, a three-course meal and more.

Meanwhile, a group of motorcyclists travelled from Alford Community Fire Station in Lincolnshire, to Alford Community Fire Station in Aberdeenshire, taking in eight locations where firefighters unfortunately lost their lives along the way.

And our star supporter, Nikki Haxton-Jones, once again pulled off an incredible charity ball which raised £8,000 for us.

See more of September’s highlights here.

October

A firefighter set a new world endurance record in October by summiting Mt Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) nine times in 48 hours – while carrying 40lb (18.14kg) of weight on his back.

In a very unique challenge, West Sussex Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Peter Rickard, took on his very own version of the TV show Hunted by going ‘on the run’ for a week in West Sussex – and raised £1,000 for us along the way.

And Cumbria FRS Station Manager, William Watson, raised £1,000 with a garden party fundraiser in aid of us – his 11th annual event in a row.

See more of October’s highlights here.

November

Two female firefighters – The Antarctic Fire Angels – set off in November to ski from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole. Read about that here.

And fire and rescue services across the UK pulled out all the stops to organise safe Bonfire Night events – many of them in aid of our charity.

Not many people can say they’ve run the equivalent of the length of the equator – but David Gill did it, while raising vital funds for us.

See more of November’s highlights here.

December

Elvis & Kresse donated a staggering £44,698.33 to us this December, from the last financial year, bringing its total donations to date to more than £428,900 – a truly incredible boost to our funds.

And we continue to see some fantastic Christmas fundraising activities taking place. Keep up with those here.

What do you have planned for 2024? We’d love to see as many of you as possible organising and taking part in fundraisers – you really are making a life-changing difference with every pound you raise.

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