We are a group of 9 firefighters from A21 Paddington Red Watch within the London Fire Brigade. We were all on the scene at the Grenfell Tower fire that on June 14th as some of the first crews in attendance.

Whilst we, alongside all of our LFB colleagues did our upmost that night we were unable to fully prevent the tragic events that unfolded . It has been well published the huge loss of life that occurred that night and afterwards, with total number of fatalities still not yet confirmed. Not to mention all of the residents and families from the tower that have had to be moved into temporary accommodation with no belongings. This was a hugely traumatic event for anyone involved.

As firefighters who attended the incident the aftermath has been a challenging time for us all, both physically and emotionally and we have depended on the support of our colleagues, the organisation and The Firefighters Charity.

As a watch we wanted to do something extra to raise money for the victims and families of the Grenfell Tower fire. Alongside The Firefighter Charity who have offered ongoing support to the firefighters who have suffered with issues with injury or PTSD following the fire.

So we are running the 2018 Virgin London Marathon in full firefighting gear and whilst wearing BA sets. This is by no means a small feat, as the fire gear alone weighs 15kg add to that the BA sets which weigh in excess of 15kg also. Thats 30kg of extra kit! We have a large watch here at Paddington and those not taking part in the marathon due to injury etc will be helping with the fundraising and training for the 9 of us that are.

We are very passionate about making sure this money gets to the locals and the people that need it. That is why we have chosen two local organisations that are at the heart of the Grenfell community. 'The Harrow Club' and the 'Rugby Portobello Trust'. By committing to fundraising for these amazing charities we are ensuring there is help and support within the community for the people that need it.

'The Harrow Club' provide local young people with accessible and high quality opportunities, enabling them to maximise their life chances and to enhance their personal development. Following the Grenfell Tower fire they have worked tirelessly to support the areas younger generation and offer a range of activities for all young people.

'Rugby Portobello Trust' has been delivering services to the local community for over 15 years as RPT and over 100 years under other names. They continue to support the rehousing of residents following the Grenfell Tower fire and also offer a range of services from parenting support to a community cafe.

We will be splitting our fundraising total equally between the Grenfell related charities and the Firefighters Charity.

'The Firefighters Charity' Actively support firefighters in need. Whether injured, ill or in need of psychological support to come to terms with the life and death situations we face on a daily basis, they exist to support the everyday heroes of the UK fire community.

These are all nationally recognised Beta Charity Commission approved organisations. So rest assured your money will be going to the people that need it!You can read more on our chosen charities and the amazing work they do here;

The Harrow Club W10 - Charity No.1054757 http://harrowclubw10.org

The Rugby Portobello Trust - Charity No.1100143 http://rugbyportobello.org.uk

The Firefighters Charity - Charity No.1093387 https://www.firefighterscharity.org.uk

Any support you can offer, no matter how small, will be greatly appreciated and we will make sure it goes directly to the victims and families of the Grenfell Tower community with the help of our chosen charities. Together with The Firefighters Charity.

Thank you for reading our story.