Grenfell Fire Disaster – what can we do?
The Grenfell Tower fire is very much on my mind today. Mark O’Donoghue, who was my neighbour when I was training to be a vicar, is Dean of Kensington, and he’s been interviewed several times on the news today, helping co-ordinate the response by the churches in the area. (Also in the Daily Mirror).
Anyway, it set me thinking about the best way to give a financial gift to help those who have lost all they own. Someone has already set up a Justgiving page, which as I write has already raised over £250,000.
However Justgiving accounts aren’t charities, so generally aren’t gift-aidable. So if you’d like to give a gift online, and have the government top it up with Gift Aid (turning a £25 donation into £31.50), then a better way to give is either through:
- the Evening Standard newspaper’s Dispossessed Fund (run through the charity, The London Community Foundation), or
- The Kensington and Chelsea Foundation (this is Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council’s recommended route).
In the meantime, please be praying for those who have been injured, or who are mourning loved ones. Pray for the fire service and healthcare professionals working beyond the point of exhaustion to save lives. And pray for the Health and Safety Executive who will no doubt have to investigate the situation and make recommendations on how we can better build in the future.