Over £117,000 raised for The Fire Fighters Charity

28/07/2023

Thanks to the hard work of colleagues, volunteers, and the generosity of the public, an incredible £117,544 has been raised for The Fire Fighters Charity (FFC) in Cambridgeshire during the last year, an increase of over £22,000 on the previous year.

Despite the cost-of-living crisis and huge financial challenges faced throughout the country, the community across Cambridgeshire has shown their support to the FFC, a national charity that supports UK fire service colleagues and their families.

From events alone, almost £50,000 was raised throughout the year. This included car washes, open days, as well as Christmas sleigh rides and a fire engine pull. Peterborough Golf Club also made a significant contribution of £12,000 to the grand total too.

As well as through events, an impressive £32,000 was raised from the recycled clothing banks at fire stations and locations in the community across the county. In January, Chatteris fire station claimed the top prize for collecting the most recycling during the Bag it and Bank it competition, raising over £1000 in just one month.

Funds were also raised through regular giving, The Fire Fighters Charity lottery scheme and personal donations.

The donations will be used by the charity to offer support services to the fire service community around the country, in areas of heath, wellbeing, advice information, family and child programmes, nursing, recuperation and more.

Chief Fire Officer, Chris Strickland said: “We’re delighted to see such an incredible amount of money raised in Cambridgeshire this year, and it really is thanks to the public for their generosity, and to all those who put their time and effort into organising fantastic events and challenges throughout the year.

“Whether it’s turning up to a car wash, donating a few items of unwanted clothing to the recycling banks, or holding a personal fundraising challenge, we are so grateful for the support and generosity of the public and it is very much appreciated, especially during these financially challenging times.”

“All of the support makes a massive difference to the charity, which does some great work supporting fire service staff and their families, from our own service and others across the country.”

Charlotte Smith, Community Fundraiser for The Fire Fighters Charity added: “On behalf of The Fire Fighters Charity, I’d like to express our sincerest thanks to Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and to everybody who has helped contribute to this incredible year of fundraising. Every pound raised will go directly towards supporting the health and wellbeing of our fire services community. Thank you all for your support.’’

There are lots of ways to support The Fire Fighters Charity, from taking your vehicles to the car washes, to donating clothing to the charity textile recycling banks, to taking on personal challenges. You can find out more about the charity by visiting https://www.firefighterscharity.org.uk. 

Keep any eye out on our social media accounts for updates on upcoming events.