Cornwall remembers Grenfell seven years later

As London prepares to mark the seventh anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, 300 miles away, Cornwall charity Cornwall Hugs has added a cast iron memorial plaque to Grenfell Street, Mousehole, to- and remember the 72 people who died on June 14, 2017. .

Since the tragedy, the deadliest residential fire since WWll, the respite charity has welcomed hundreds of Grenfell guests to Cornwall and a special bond has developed between communities, with over 1,000 people and businesses enabling the celebrations.

Continuing this solidarity, churches across the county and the Isles of Scilly join in a prayer for Grenfell specially written by the Revd Hugh Nelson, Bishop of St Germans. The seventh anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire is on Friday.

In the week following the fire, Cornwall Hugs Grenfell presented on Facebook a vision to offer Cornwall’s natural sanctuary to survivors, mourners and firefighters. In October 2023, the charity welcomed its 500th guest. Many families were housed in Mousehole and in 2019 the Grenfell families unveiled a special street sign with a green Grenfell heart on the old village street, coincidentally already called Grenfell Street.

As the years pass, the new memorial plaque will remind visitors of the date of the tragedy and its great toll. It honors the 72 who died, including 18 children, and celebrates solidarity – the spirit of “One and All” – between communities. The new sign is placed midway to allow children and wheelchair users to read it more easily. Forty percent of Grenfell Tower’s disabled residents died in the fire.

“So many people stop and take photos of the unique street sign, but more and more we hear them struggling to remember the facts about the fire,” said Cornwall Hugs founder Esmé Page.

“Remembering Grenfell is vital because this was an avoidable tragedy. And without remembrance and solidarity, there will be no reform. If we don’t support Grenfell United’s fight for justice and change, we will see more clothing fires – like the one in Valencia this year, which killed 10 people.

“Learning from mistakes is key and academics at Southampton and Oxford universities are now working on how to incorporate Grenfell into educational settings. Thousands of people pass through the Mousehole every year and we hope this little plaque plays its part in anchoring that memory and learning opportunity, especially for the next generation.”

Grieving survivor Hanan Wahabi whose daughter helped unveil the street sign in 2019 said of the new plaque: “My daughter Sara and I would like to thank the community of Mousehole for continuing to remember with us and our community. Remembrance is key to ensuring that the 72 people who lost their lives are never forgotten and that lessons are learned.”

Hanan, Sara (eight at the time of the fire) and family escaped from the ninth floor, but lost Hanan’s brother, his wife and three children, who lived on 21. Hanan now sits on the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission , which is consulting with the community on the future of the tower.

“This kind and sincere act of having a sign and plaque to remember our loved ones in a place where the people of Cornwall welcomed us shortly after the tragedy will forever be part of the Grenfell memorial. It ensures that visitors and future generations will know what happened and be aware of the solidarity between our two communities; Cornwall and Kensington.”

Patch Harvey, skipper of the Penlee lifeboat, was invited by Cornwall Hugs to join survivors in unveiling the ‘Grenfell Street’ sign in August 2019.

He commented on the new plaque saying: “The Grenfell community is very dear to our hearts and we always enjoy welcoming guests to Cornwall Hugs. At Penlee we know how important it is to remember and I’m delighted that this little sign will help people do that for Grenfell.”

Cornwall Hugs started with a Facebook post six days after the fire and support from individuals and businesses has remained strong for seven years. The church communities in Cornwall played a key role and before the 7th anniversary, Bishop Hugh issued a special prayer for them to use.

Esmé Page thanked the Diocese for their support: “The support of the local churches has supported our work since the beginning. It is a great encouragement to know that after seven years, so many voices in Cornwall will be praying for the Grenfell families as they approach this very difficult time.”

In London, the Grenfell community will gather for a memorial service and evening silent walk. As with many previous anniversaries, Esmé will meet with families to attend and pay respects on behalf of the more than 1,000 people in Cornwall who welcomed them.