Firefighters who fought the blaze at the Grenfell Tower on 14th June are being offered free holidays from kind-hearted members of the public.
Generous strangers have set up Facebook groups to encourage members of the public to donate towards a fund offering to send the firefighters on holiday following their efforts to tackle the fire at the 220-foot high tower block in North Kensington, west London which is thought to have killed up to 80 people.
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Over 370 offers have been put forward by members of the Grenfell Tower Holiday Appeal Facebook Group, according to co-organiser Angie Mays. The offers have come largely from small businesses, B&Bs and guesthouses in the UK, although there have also been some from places including Spain and Cyprus.
Mays told Metro: "People have been donating holidays in the last two-and-a-half weeks. We now have over 370.
"Various offers like quad bike sessions have been given to a firefighter family already. We have also booked one firefighter family to stay in Yorkshire and two families in Alicante.
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"We have a JustGiving page and bank account and are raising funds to support the victims get to their holiday destination. We have over £1,200 at present. People are being so generous."
She commented that people from all over the world had been in touch to tell her what a great idea it was to help the firefighters go on holiday following the tragedy.
Many firefighters who were involved in fighting the blaze have been offered counselling to help them deal with the traumatic aftereffects of what they saw at Grenfell Tower, while the outpouring of support from the public has been vast.
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One member of the firefighting service has already taken up the Facebook Group's offer of a holiday in West Yorkshire with his partner and two children in early July, while others are considering other offers.
The fire led to great scrutiny on the government, with accusations that its austerity policies may have led to the blaze, while the Prime Minister, Theresa May, was criticised in its immediate aftermath for not meeting survivors and families of those missing.
Words: Ronan O'Shea
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Grenfell Tower, UK