This year marks our 80th anniversary and we’re celebrating it with a special edition of Shout! magazine – packed full of features, real-life stories, news, services updates and more.
And we’re delighted to be marking the occasion alongside all of you – our beneficiaries and supporters right across the UK.
Our Chief Executive, Dr Jill Tolfrey, says: “There is so much we can be proud of when we reflect on the last eight decades. The Charity has evolved hugely over that time – from a fund that supported bereaved families of firefighters killed during WWII, to one that over the last year has made a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of over 10,000 members of the UK’s fire family.
“However, none of that would have been possible without the generosity of generations of supporters. By standing with us and raising the funds we need, you are the people who have made it possible for us to help a huge number of beneficiaries over the last 80 years. So, on behalf of everyone who has been supported by the Charity since 1943, thank you all.”
Below are just a few of the highlights from the latest magazine:
We’re celebrating eight decades through which we’ve stood side-by-side with the UK’s fire services community this year, helping them to live healthier and happier. And you’ve been with us all the way.
We begin this issue by looking back over the last 80 years and how far we’ve come, as well as focusing on the next era of our Charity and the huge development and expansion of our digital services to meet the ever-changing needs of our fire family. You can read all about that on pages 6-10.
To help us celebrate this milestone, we’ve also shared fundraising ideas to get you started with your own 80th birthday celebration. After all, we couldn’t continue to offer any of our life-changing services without your support.
You can browse some of those on pages 12-13 and click below to keep up with all our latest updates:
One group who went above and beyond to fundraise for us recently were the 133 women from 28 fire and rescue services across the UK who came together to climb Mount Snowdon. You can read their story on pages 24-25 and watch their video here:
Elsewhere, we share Northern Ireland firefighter Keith Shields’ story on page 11.
Keith participated in our online Hope Programme after a period of ill health took a toll on his mental wellbeing. He shares how it helped him, and it’s all thanks to your donations…
Indeed, our Hope Programme has helped hundreds of our beneficiaries in the last couple of years and is just one of the many new programmes and services we can offer our beneficiaries, helping them to make the positive, life-changing choices they need to live healthier and happier.
With that in mind, we’ve shared a handy pull-out poster summarising some of them – which is the perfect size for station and office noticeboards – on pages 16-17.
Following that, we also take a closer look at the many support pathways we have available for families, as well as tips on using creativity to promote mental wellbeing and the importance of preparing for retirement – as well as ways of maintaining social connections.
However, none of this would be possible without your ongoing support and regular donations.
We rely almost entirely on the generosity of you, our supporters and donors, to raise the funds we need each year to ensure we are here for every member of our fire services community. People just like Vicky…
Since 2019, the number of people we’ve helped has more than doubled, from around 4,000 people a year, to 10,000. However, in order to help this increasing number of people turning to us, we need to raise more income. That’s why we’re asking for your help this summer and you can find out more about this important appeal on page 15, as well as donating here:
We also share tips on how you could engage with corporates in your local area to help secure vital support for us on page 27, and later we chat to our virtual Living Well Group members who we recently invited to Harcombe House so they could meet for the first time. See page 28 for their story.
Finally, we look at how volunteering can be an enjoyable way of making a vital contribution to the work we do with our fire services community. Find information on how you can join us today and make a life-changing difference to someone’s life on page 29.
Make sure you also check out our special 80th-themed competition on page 30 for a chance of winning £150 of Amazon vouchers, all thanks to Terberg DTS UK Ltd.
Dr Tolfrey adds: “As ever, there is lots to read to keep you up to date on the services that are available to you or, if you’re not an eligible beneficiary, to hopefully remind you of the need to support our incredible fire family to ensure they can live and work healthily and happily.
“Wishing you an enjoyable summer.”
