Wife of Grenfell fireman says he's 'utterly broken' as rescuers take up free holidays funded by public
The wife of a firefighter who battled the Grenfell Tower blaze said he has been ‘utterly broken’ by the tragedy.
The couple and their two children are to be among the first to take up hundreds of free holidays that have been crowd-sourced by members of the public.
The news emerged on the day a special taskforce was sent in to Kensington and Chelsea Council to take over key services in the wake of the blaze.
More than 370 holidays have been offered in the Grenfell Tower Holiday Appeal Facebook Group since the fatal blaze three weeks ago, co-organiser Angie Mays said.
Ms Mays, a fundraiser from Ilfracombe, Devon, set up the campaign with friend and volunteer Kay Gilbert.
The firefighter and his family will head to a cottage in Marsden, West Yorkshire, for a week this month.
His wife, who wishes to remain anonymous to respect her partner’s privacy, said: ‘What Kay and Angie have done from the kindness of their hearts will help so many families at such a distressing time in their lives.
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‘As a firefighter’s wife, I was directed to the page they lovingly set up for the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and any emergency services who may have been affected by it.
‘This has been the most horrific job of my husband’s career and he has been utterly broken by it.
‘As we all have – trying to support him emotionally, and trying to understand what he has been through. Not to mention praying he comes home in one piece.
‘Thanks to the utter kindness of these wonderful ladies and all of the generous donations to this cause, we will be able to go away for a week as a family for some much needed R&R.
‘This means the world to me that I can take them away from it all, if just for a moment.’
The short-stay offers have come mainly from small businesses, B&Bs and guesthouses all over the UK, but also in Spain and Cyprus, Ms Mays said.
Other firefighter families are also in the process of taking up offers, she added.
Separate Facebook groups have been also set up to provide holidays in Cornwall and the Highlands.