Worthing and Shoreham fire station open days raise thousands for charities

The events featured live demonstrations, tours of fire engines, fire-safety advice and other family friendly activities, with Worthing Fire Station’s open day held alongside the Broadwater’s Big Day Out event on Saturday, July 19, and Shoreham Community Fire Station’s on Saturday, August 9.

Crowds braved the rain for the Worthing event, which raised £8,000 for the Chanctonbury Community Playscheme, Seaside Hospital Radio, West Sussex Mind, and the Fire Fighters Charity, while the events at Shoreham, Bognor Regis, Crawley and East Grinstead collectively raised almost £3,000.

Chichester’s first Emergency Services and Community Day, held on Sunday, August 25, raised £12,000 for a range of charities, including the RNLI, Age UK, My Sister’s House, Stonepillow and local Rotary clubs, with £3,500 for the Fire Fighters Charity.

Assistant chief fire officer Andy Piller said: “We love hosting open days and welcoming the community into our fire stations. It’s a great opportunity to engage with the public and show them what we do, as well as sharing important fire safety advice.

“I would like to congratulate our crews who were involved in organising these events. A lot of work went into making them accessible and inclusive, so it was great to see so many families enjoying the demonstrations and activities on offer.

“It was fantastic to see crews coming together across the county to support this important fundraising work. We are proud to be able to give back to the Fire Fighters Charity which does so much for our teams and their families. Thank you to everyone who came along to support and generously donated.”

The Fire Fighters Charity provides a lifetime of support to all UK fire and rescue service staff and their families including physical rehabilitation, nursing, mental health and wellbeing support, respite breaks, and retirement advice. For more information, visit www.firefighterscharity.org.uk