Following the Grenfell Tower fire in West London, JustGiving has announced that an incredible £1.6 million has been raised, so far, on the platform to support the victims and their families making it a record breaking crowd-funding achievement for the people of the UK.
As well as the incredible support shown at the scene of the incident in Kensington, by the emergency services and members of the community, there has also been an outpouring of support from the country, as a whole, as people continue to donate to over 250 pages on the site.
Seven out of the top ten pages on the site yesterday were connected to the fire and a dedicated JustGiving emergency landing page was created on the platform. https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/categories/emergencies/grenfell-tower-fire
The top ten appeals on JustGiving at the moment are:
- www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/familiesofgrenfelltower – £642,525
- www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/grenfell – £328,945
- www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/grenfellfirefund – £63,601
- www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/grenfell-fire – £37,690
- www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/grenfell-tower-support – £18,60
- www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/marvinabbeygrenfelltowerfund – £14,078
- www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/cowellgroup – £13,423
- www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/william-hurst-1 – £8,717
- www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/wesley-family – £7,760
- www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/laineysheridanyoung – £7,730
Key campaigns to mention include an appeal for The London Community Foundation by the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund on behalf of residents of the Grenfell Tower which has now raised over £479,000.
The page reads: “The appeal and distribution of funds to victims in need of support will be run by the London Community Foundation which has administered the Dispossessed Fund since it was launched eight years ago.
“The Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund was set up in 2010 to help grassroots charities tackling poverty, inequality and exclusion across the capital. Since its launch in 2010, the Dispossessed Fund has raised £18.02 million from the general public, business, Government, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery.”
Other personal JustGiving fundraising pages raising significant funds on the platform include:
The Kensington Aldridge Academy appeal, created by local teacher Hayley Yearwood which has already raised over £640,000. Hayley said on the page:
“I am the Y8 Director of Learning at Kensington Aldridge Academy and know that many of our students and their families will be affected by this awful fire. It is a really close-knit community and the trauma will be felt for years to come. I’d like to help in any way possible.
“On behalf of Kensington Aldridge Academy, the money raised will go to those residents of Grenfell Tower affected and will hopefully, even in some small way, help them with whatever they may need in the aftermath.”
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/familiesofgrenfelltower
A JustGiving appeal created by Robin Garton, who witnessed the fire and had friends living in the tower block. The page has already raised more than £60,000. Robin wrote on the page:
“I was there from 2am and witnessed a night of horrific scenes. I am now in the midst of a community that desperately needs help. My son was there for a playdate on Monday evening. Our friends got out, but many more than currently being reported did not. Hundreds are now homeless and need the basics of life before they can start rebuilding them.”
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/grenfellfirefund
A JustGiving appeal created by Chris Seagrove for his friend Natasha Elcock, her partner Anthony and their daughter. Shayla, who lost all their possessions in the fire. He wrote on the page:
“Natasha Elcock is a close friend and colleague of mine, who I have worked with for 5 years. She’s caring, compasionate and selfless, always putting the needs of others before herself. Thankfully they all got out of the building safely, which is the most important thing. I know a lot of her friends and colleagues would love to return the love and support she has given us all over the years by helping support her and her family in this time of need. Right now, they have nothing, so any support would be gratefully received, and I couldn’t think of a more deserving family.”
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/natashaelcock
A JustGiving appeal created by Get West London news site has raised £18,000. They wrote on the page:
“As the horror of the Grenfell Tower block fire unfolded on Wednesday (June 14) morning, people from across the country started asking what they can do to help those affected. Getwestlondon has launched this JustGiving page, in aid of those affected by the horrific fire. Although we’ll never be able to replace their loved ones, memories and homes, we can help them rebuild.”
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/grenfell-tower-support
Rhys Goode, spokesperson for JustGiving, said: “The thoughts of everyone at JustGiving go out to the victims of this terrible incident. The team here are doing all we can to help coordinate efforts to best help those affected. As with all emergency situations, we will be holding funds while we work with page owners to ensure that all money makes it to those in need.”
It has been confirmed that the fire, which took place in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in Kensington, West London shortly before 1am yesterday morning has already killed at least 17 residents and more than 30 people remain in hospital – 17 of whom are in a critical condition.
However, it is unknown at this time the final number of casualties which looks set to rise as the search for the missing residents continue. It is reported that firefighters rescued ‘large numbers’ but London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said that ‘a lot’ of people were unaccounted for.
Eyewitnesses described people trapped in the burning tower screaming for help, shouting for their children to be saved and even jumping from the building to escape the fire. Over forty fire engines containing more than 200 firefighters attended the scene which has been labelled a major incident. The tower contains 120 homes.
To support the appeals, please visit:
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/categories/emergencies/grenfell-tower-fire
For further press information, please contact:
Jane Eggleton
JustGiving PR Agency (Rooster PR)
T: +44 (0)20 3440 8925
E: [email protected]
Notes to editors:
JustGiving is the world’s leading social platform for giving, enabling over 20 million people across 164 countries to raise $4.2 billion since 2001. As a tech-for-good company, JustGiving re-invests all its profits into the development of world-class technology and innovative tools to fulfil its mission to connect people with the causes they care about.
The Met Police have established an emergency number for members of the public to use if they are concerned about a loved one. The Casualty Bureau number is 0800 0961 233.
