This year marked the fifth anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies in recent British history. On the night of 14th June 2017, the world watched the lives of hundreds of families change instantly as they became trapped in their burning high-rise home. We sadly lost 72 people, from all ages and walks of life.
The survivors and families of Grenfell Tower have yet to meet with justice. We are still waiting for the answer to a once-unthinkable question: How did a council block in the UK’s richest borough, refurbished just a year earlier, come to be engulfed in flames that swept from its 4th to 24th floor in less than 30 minutes?
Quite simply, why did 72 people die?
The UK government’s response has been painfully slow – it is yet to implement the majority of the recommendations from the first phase of The Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and even announced that it would be rejecting the inclusive recommendation that building owners should prepare personal evacuation plans for disabled residents.
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Today, there are still over 100 high-rise buildings across England with ACM cladding and where remediation work is still to be done. On top of this, there are thousands still living in council flats whose lives are threatened every day with numerous safety defects that are being outright ignored.
Yet it isn’t true that the legacy of Grenfell is only one of injustice and neglect. In the aftermath of the disaster, we also saw the best of humanity.
Hundreds of volunteers collected food, clothes, and blankets for the affected families. Thousands of people donated and actively joined the campaign to demand justice and protection for our people – all our people. Communities united in authentic care that looks past our differences.
There is such strength in this togetherness which continues to provide hope.
As Grenfell United tweeted on the anniversary, “people came in solidarity & opened their hearts. It showed the power of unity, regardless of faith, race, or background; uniting in the face of adversity. Today, we remember the kindness the public showed – it gave us the strength to keep going.”
This year marked the fifth anniversary of one of the greatest tragedies in recent British history. On the night of 14th June 2017, the world watched the lives of hundreds of families change instantly as they became trapped in their burning high-rise home. We sadly lost 72 people, from all ages and walks of life.
The survivors and families of Grenfell Tower have yet to meet with justice. We are still waiting for the answer to a once-unthinkable question: How did a council block in the UK’s richest borough, refurbished just a year earlier, come to be engulfed in flames that swept from its 4th to 24th floor in less than 30 minutes?
Quite simply, why did 72 people die?
The UK government’s response has been painfully slow – it is yet to implement the majority of the recommendations from the first phase of The Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and even announced that it would be rejecting the inclusive recommendation that building owners should prepare personal evacuation plans for disabled residents.
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Today, there are still over 100 high-rise buildings across England with ACM cladding and where remediation work is still to be done. On top of this, there are thousands still living in council flats whose lives are threatened every day with numerous safety defects that are being outright ignored.
Yet it isn’t true that the legacy of Grenfell is only one of injustice and neglect. In the aftermath of the disaster, we also saw the best of humanity.
Hundreds of volunteers collected food, clothes, and blankets for the affected families. Thousands of people donated and actively joined the campaign to demand justice and protection for our people – all our people. Communities united in authentic care that looks past our differences.
There is such strength in this togetherness which continues to provide hope.
As Grenfell United tweeted on the anniversary, “people came in solidarity & opened their hearts. It showed the power of unity, regardless of faith, race, or background; uniting in the face of adversity. Today, we remember the kindness the public showed – it gave us the strength to keep going.”
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