A Royal Honour
By Andrew Lynch, Chair, The Fire Fighters Charity
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Royal visit doesn’t happen every day and Monday 9 September was a proud day for everyone associated with and supported by The Fire Fighters Charity. A visit by His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge, in recognition of the work of The Fire Fighters Charity and on behalf of our Patron, Her Majesty the Queen, is testament to the high standing in which our Charity is held and the incredible work we are doing to support the mental, physical and social wellbeing of the UK’s fire services community. From a personal perspective, 9 September was also a proud day for me. I have always considered my position as Chair of The Fire Fighters Charity to be a great privilege and being afforded the opportunity to lead The Duke on a tour of our newly refurbished Harcombe House site – alongside our Chief Executive, Dr Jill Tolfrey – was a real honour. I was incredibly proud to introduce him to our employees, who so expertly
showcased the work we do, and to some of the beneficiaries we have supported. Indeed, those who shared their personal stories with HRH said far more than I ever could in regards to the impact we are
organisations requesting his support. However, he chose to visit us, at Harcombe House, to help in shining a spotlight on the work we do and as an example to others of the difference that can be made when you dedicate time,
“Being afforded the opportunity to lead The Duke on a tour of our newly refurbished Harcombe House site - alongside our Chief Executive, Dr Jill Tolfrey - was a real honour.” money, resources and people to supporting the mental health, physical health and social wellbeing of those who dedicate their lives to helping others.
having, and it was clear to me that he was moved by their accounts. For me, however, this visit represented far more than a simple endorsement of the work we do to support the UK’s fire services community. It was no coincidence that it coincided with National 999 Day and, on such a significant day, I am sure The Duke would have had a number of invitations from
To this end, it was also an honour for us to host representatives of other emergency services at a reception at Harcombe House in the presence of His Royal Highness. He was keen to further the conversation in regards to how emergency
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services can work together to support each other and benefit from the kind of services that we provide to the UK’s fire community. The success of this part of the day and the ongoing conversations that we are now having with colleagues from other emergency services is a legacy of which The Duke, and all of us, can be rightly proud. Finally, I would like to thank all those members of The Fire Fighters Charity team who worked so hard to ensure that 9 September was a success. Every employee, at our head office, across our three centres and in communities across the UK has played their part in the development of our Charity, as has everyone who has donated to us or fundraised in support of us over the past 76 years. A landmark day and one that will live long in the memory, 9 September 2019 marks the start of the next chapter of The Fire Fighters Charity. We must ensure that we maintain the high standards we have set ourselves and continue to strive for greater things. I have no doubt that we will.
