Standing together

Remarkable community spirit displayed by all after fire destroys homes and lives

Companies, individuals and charities have sprung into action to offer help to anyone affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, with crowdfunding raising more than £500,000 in fewer than 24 hours.

People from all over London have handed in clothes and food and offered to help out at impromptu donation centres, while businesses have brought food and refreshments.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver offered residents of the block free food and drink at his nearby restaurant and singer Lily Allen offered a place to stay.

Oliver, whose Jamie’s Italian chain has a restaurant at the Westfield London shopping centre, posted on Instagram: “To any of the 100’s of FAMILIES effected by this terrible fire at Grenfell Tower Notting hill today, You are all welcome to come hang out in my restaurant and be fed and watered by my Jamies Italian team.”

Allen tweeted: “If anyone need a bed or a lift, or tea tweet me and I’ll follow back. #NorthKensington.”

Former X Factor judge Rita Ora told how she used to play in the tower block, where at least 12 people lost their lives.

On Instagram, she wrote: “This is my neighbourhood I can’t believe this is happening. My prayers are with everybody involved my heart is beating so fast.”

The Maxilla Social Club has been flooded with people bringing clothes, bedding and food and volunteering to help since it started taking donations at 2am yesterday.

Joe Walsh, who runs it, said volunteers included youngsters who stopped to sit A-level exams before rushing back to help.

People had bought new pillows and blankets, as well as nappies, clothes, food and milk to help those who had lost or been evacuated from their homes, he said.

“It has been the community who did all this,” Joe added. “I am only surprised by how much the community have helped, but the community have always been good around here.”

Nearby churches have collected emergency provisions and a rest centre has been set up.

Rugby Portobello Trust is helping tower residents, with the support of the British Red Cross, and set up a Facebook page for people offering space in their homes.

Football clubs Queens Park Rangers and Fulham have offered help to help and several crowdfunding pages have been set up, one raising more than £20,000 within hours.

Community leader Piers Thompson said: “People came from all over London. There’s an amazing outpouring of support – we’re gonna need that next week, next month and next year.”

An activist on the nearby Silchester Road, he said everyone in the area would have known somebody caught up.

He said: “It would have been full, it’s a community place. It was one big happy building.”