Wills was sad at how long it took for survivors of Grenfell to get cash. He wants to change that
TO SPEED UP DISASTER PAYOUTS
donations had reached survivors and relatives. Nearly £20million had been raised, but under £800,000 had been distributed. For months many victims were still languishing in hotels and other temporary accommodation.
By January 2018, £26.5million had been raised, according to the Charity Commission for England and Wales, and it was said £20.9million had been distributed.
Handouts in the early days after the Grenfell disaster were pitiful.
Some survivors were initially given just £10 by the local council as they were sent to hotels. The Prince’s charity move shows he is following further in the footsteps of his mother. Diana, who died in 1997, was a humanitarian who reached out to the homeless, AIDS sufferers and victims of landmines.
In February William was named patron of homeless charity The Passage, which he visited with Diana as a child. He also works closely with homeless charity Centrepoint as well as promoting his mental health campaign Heads Together through The Royal Foundation. William, Kate and Prince Harry’s foundation
also set up the Support4Grenfell community hub in North Kensington, providing mental health resources for parents and children.
Then in May 2018, just four days before his brother Harry wed Meghan Markle, William visited Grenfell again and met residents hit by the tragedy.
AMAZING
In the aftermath of the fire, film producer Nisha Parti told how victims could not access the public donations in the wake of the disaster.
She said: “Kensington and Chelsea are giving £10 to the survivors when they go to the hotels – a tenner. There is money pouring in from all these amazing volunteers.”
Asked why they were struggling to access the money, she replied: “No one
Our Page 1 as Wills visits Grenfell is telling us where it is. Victims will go into hotels, arriving at hotels with no one from the council to greet them, to check them in, to look after them, to give them clothes and food.
“The volunteers are now going to hotels with food packages with cash that they are trying to find because they have nothing.”
Then PM Theresa May also announced a £5million fund would be made available to pay for emergency supplies, food, clothes and other costs.
The Government also committed to ensuring residents who lost homes would be rehoused in three weeks.
But in April this year, almost two years on, 15 Grenfell victims were still living in temporary accommodation.
Housing Minister Kit Malthouse said: “Six whole households remain in emergency accommodation – two in hotels, three in serviced apartments and one with family or friends.”
Shadow housing secretary John Healey said: “Nearly two years on from that shocking national tragedy, the Government action is still on go-slow.’
A royal spokesman did not comment yesterday.