This spring and summer The Fire Fighters Charity is asking its supporters to embrace self-isolation and social distancing, by taking on a Family Challenge.

Whether by themselves or with those closest to them – family, friends, home working colleagues or socially distanced loved ones – the Charity wants its supporters to test their physical, mental or creative strength and raise vital funds to support the UK’s fire services family over the coming months.

The charity’s Family Challenge offers supporters and traditional event fundraisers an opportunity to set aside the disappointment of cancelled or postponed events, to test the lockdown limits of their personal space and come together to support the thousands of fire service key workers on the coronavirus front line today.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the Charity’s traditional fundraising to a halt, with the cancellation or postponement of countless events and challenges across the UK and overseas. Furthermore, The Fire Fighters Charity does not meet the criteria outlined by Government in regards to grant support.

With its donors and supporters usually raising around £10m a year to fund its health and wellbeing services, the Charity has estimated that it may only raise around 50% of its usual fundraising income during this lockdown period. The impact of this could curtail the Charity’s ambitions and plans for the future, unless an alternate way to raise that income is found.

The Challenge seeks to address this fundraising shortfall by encouraging supporters to take on a personal challenge or come together as a team to take on something special.

The Charity has provided a host of ideas to support challengers; from garden Olympics to non-stop knitting and sponsored silences. It has also provided simple to follow guides for challengers to set up JustGiving fundraising pages, or Facebook Fundraisers and is offering a range of digital awards to those taking part.

Regional Fundraising Team Manager, Natasha Mason, said of the Challenge:

This is a great opportunity for our supporters to do something special for the UK’s incredible fire services family. Our fire fighters are working in extraordinary circumstances, at the frontline of this national fight against coronavirus, so the Fire Family Challenge will hopefully offer some light relief and help us to raise some much needed funds at a time when our fundraising has otherwise dried up.

Challengers can sign up at www.firefighterscharity.org.uk/firefamilychallenge.

Image: Surrey County Council / Flickr / Creative Commons

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