Firefighters in the South West, along with the TUC, raised more than £1,000 at the 3 day Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival in July for the Grenfell Firefighters’ Support Fund.

A cheque was presented yesterday (23 August) by Fire Brigades Union (FBU) South West official Tam McFarlane to a group of heroic firefighters from Battersea fire station who responded to the Grenfell fire.

McFarlane was joined by Nigel Costley, South West TUC regional secretary, and Joanne Kaye, South West TUC vice-chair.

Tam McFarlane said:

“The support and solidarity shown by everyone at the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival towards our colleagues who responded to Grenfell was very heart-warming.

People were queuing up at the FBU stall to donate to the firefighters’ hardship fund.

All of the firefighters present were very moved by this show of appreciation.

The men and women who attended Grenfell did an incredible job in the most challenging circumstances imaginable, and the horrors they experienced will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

The presentation of this cheque shows that they not only have the respect and appreciation of everyone in the fire services across the UK, but of trade unionists and members of the public countrywide.”

Nigel Costley said:

“Tolpuddle celebrates the solidarity of farm workers when they formed an early union and of workers across the country who won their freedom. 

The solidarity being shown here today is to the firefighters who fought this unprecedented blaze at Grenfell that took so many lives”.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union centre representing the majority of trade unions. There are fifty-one affiliated unions with a total of about 5.8 million members. 

The TUC’s mission is to be a high-profile organisation that campaigns successfully for trade union aims and values, assists trade unions to increase membership and effectiveness, cuts out wasteful rivalry and promotes trade union solidarity

www.tuc.org.uk