The Fire Fighters Charity

The Fire Services National Benevolent Fund (FSNBF), the charity which supports serving and retired members of the fire community, has now changed its name to The Fire Fighters Charity. It also has a new target – to help 16,000 serving and retired personnel by 2011.

What are the current aims of the charity?
The Fire Service National Benevolent Fund raises approximately £8 million per year helping over 11,000 people by providing assistance to serving and retired fire personnel, their widow/ers and young dependants. It provides sheltered accommodation, recuperative facilities, rehabilitation and therapy and also financial support for those who need it.

Why has the name changed?
Recent research conducted by the charity revealed that although 97% of people surveyed in the fire community knew about the charity only 27% knew its correct name.  Worse still, the general public when surveyed, did not recognise the full FSNBF name.  Further research with the fire community and general public revealed they thought the Fire Services National Benevolent Fund name was over-complicated and difficult to remember.

As well as extensive research being conducted with hundreds of firefighters and members of the public, a working party was also set up by the charity a year ago. This group recommended the change of name and logo and the decision was agreed at the Charity’s Annual General Meeting in November 2007.

Firefighters from Manchester Central are raising money for the charity with a bike ride from London to Paris in May

What future aims does the charity have?
Despite the charity helping 11,000 people each year, research shows that there is still an additional 5,000 serving or retired personnel who could benefit from the charity’s services. To raise the additional money needed to help these people, the charity has been rebranded to help raise its profile in the public arena and thus benefit from more donations from the general public.

The charity was formed during the Second World War to care for the widows and orphans of firefighters lost in the Blitz. Since then, the charity has extended its beneficiary base on numerous occasions, to welcome groups such as dependants, non-uniform personnel and the retired fire community. The charity has already increased the number of people it helps by 50% during the past three years, and is now confident that it can build upon these successes and realise its goal of supporting everyone in need of help in the fire community.

Support The Fire Fighters Charity
Find out more about the charity or donate now at www.firefighterscharity.org.uk.