The astounding response to the Grenfell Tower fire appeal set up by a Royston man at his Flint Cross business, saw five lorries and six vans full of supplies head to London to help victims.
The astounding response to the Grenfell Tower fire appeal set up by a Royston man at his Flint Cross business, saw five lorries and six vans full of supplies head to London to help victims.
When Jamie Wells, boss of Better Removals & Storage, learned of the terrible fire which destroyed the tower block in North Kensington on Wednesday last week, he wasted no time in putting out a plea, using his business premises in Flint Park to house donations.
The blaze started at a flat in the 24-storey tower just before 1am, destroying the 127 homes inside.
Police have since confirmed that tragically 79 people have died or are missing and presumed dead, and hundreds have been left homeless.
Donations began flooding in to Jamie’s firm, and staff stepped up to take in goods at the site and collect them from drop off points in Hitchin and Stevenage.
The firm’s senior sales consultant Dan Lewis told the Crow: “We were absolutely inundated. We had to go twice to London to deliver the donations, on Friday and Monday.”
The team first took supplies to a dance studio in Ladbroke Grove that had been turned into a donations centre, and then to a Royal Mail sorting office which was also being used to house donations.
“They were overrun with supplies, people had come from all over the country, doing anything they could.
“We weren’t expecting the level of the response we had to our appeal, it was astounding.
“We became a hub for people all over Herts, Cambs and further away. People were coming from miles to donate – it put Flint Cross on the map.”
Dan said people are still bringing goods now, but the team are now having to redirect them to the Red Cross.
Sue Wells, who works with son Jamie at the family-run firm, said: “It was important to us to be able to do this because it is just so sad that these people have been left with nothing, and we just wanted to do what we could.
“The appeal went viral, we had people from Liverpool and Scotland get in touch. We’ve even had someone offer their home for two weeks while they’re on holiday. Mums were bringing in their children who want to donate their own toys to the cause.”
They weren’t the only children selflessly donating. Pupils from the Barley and Barkway First Schools and the Barkway preschool, teachers, parents and volunteers filled their school minibus with supplies and took them to Jamie’s firm.
Headteacher Sharon Brown, said: “Everyone at school was shocked and saddened by the tragic event and within hours of parent Kate Gregory’s organising email to the schools, bags of clothes and other items were soon brought in.
“A very generous effort by everyone involved.”
To give cash to the cause see www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/categories/emergencies/grenfell-tower-fire
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