Dad all set to host Cardiff gig to help fire survivors
The Prime Minister has said the Government is making sure Camden Council can do “what is necessary” to ensure people evacuated from blocks of flats in north London have somewhere to stay, and work is done to make the buildings safe.
Speaking while attending Armed Forces Day in Liverpool, Theresa May said: “For those Camden blocks, it wasn’t just a question of the cladding; there were a number of issues that came together that meant that the fire service were concerned about those blocks and the action was taken by the local authority.”
She added: “We are making sure that the authority has the ability to do what is necessary to ensure people have somewhere to stay and that the work is done so that those tower blocks will become safe for them to return to in future.”
Mrs May said the Government was working with local authorities across the country to address fire safety concerns about tower blocks.
She said: “The Government is working with those local authorities affected by this issue to ensure that they’re able to do what is necessary on the ground to reassure people about the safety of their blocks, if necessary to evacuate people, and take action to make those tower blocks safe.
“The Government is supporting lo- cal authorities to do that and together we are making sure that the resources are there to ensure that what is needed to keep people safe is done.”
She said local authorities were being urged to send in samples of cladding and material to be tested and “immediate action” would be taken if the materials were found not to be up to fire safety standards.
Mrs May said the Government was working with those in the Kensington and Chelsea area to ensure people who lost their homes following the blaze at Grenfell Tower were rehoused within three weeks and provided with financial support. A CHARITY gig to raise funds for those affected by the Grenfell Tower disaster will be held in Cardiff on Tuesday.
It will feature some of the leading lights in Welsh music, including Astroid Boys and Sonny Double 1, playing at the Freedom Church in Cardiff.
The fire that tore through the West London tower block, so far officially claiming 79 lives but with many more people still unaccounted for, has hit the local community hard and seen people from all over the UK travelling to the area to offer their help.
One of those is Derrick Bonsu, who is organising the charity show. Although he now lives in Cardiff he is originally from West London.
“I grew up in West London and my best friends are from the area,” he said. “That’s where I grew up playing football, in the area around the Westway.”
Derrick, a married father of two who attends The Freedom Church in Cardiff, described how he rang his friend on the night of the fire and was told just how desperate the situation was.
“Me and my wife were speaking to one of my best friends when he started informing me what was going on and how bad things were, as he could see the fire from his bedroom window,” said the 32-year-old, who works as a sports scientist at Bristol City Football Club.
“My immediate reaction was to ask my friends how could I help. Me and my family are Christians and we believe we’re supposed to love each other and do what we can. That’s what my faith calls me to do.”
After speaking to his friend, Derrick got a train early to London on the Saturday after the fire, and found himself at St Marys Hospital in Paddington, where many of those injured in the fire were being treated.
“I met my friends at Paddington station and I asked them was there anybody there individually who we could help, because we at the church understood we couldn’t help everybody but we might be able to help one person.
“My friend said, ‘It’s a blessing that you said that because there is one person that you can help. And that’s my friend Zoe Dainton. She lived in Grenfell Tower on the fourth floor.’
“So I met Zoe, and said my family are praying for you and my church back home are praying for you, we care about you and is there anything we can do?
“We spoke at length and she told me when she closes her eyes all she can see is smoke.
“So I went back to church on the Sunday and I spoke about what had happened and we decided to put on a fundraiser for Zoe and the victims of the fire.”
Derrick said that what those most affected by the fire now need is money.
“The volunteer points in London have been inundated, but what is urgently needed now is money to help these people rebuild their lives.
“My Freedom Church put their hands into their pockets and we collected several hundred pounds last weekend and we’ll be collecting again this Sunday.
“I understand we can’t help everybody financially but we know where the funds are going to go with our fundraiser and it’s going to help Zoe.
“We’ve got some fantastic acts like Astroid Boys, Sonny Double 1 and Mace performing. We’ve got volunteers who are giving their time to help with lighting, to help with sound and to collect money.
“We feel like it’s our obligation not just as people, but as Christians to help, so we will do all we can.”
The Grenfell Tower fundraiser will be held at Freedom Church, Trade Street, Cardiff, on Tuesday. The line-up is Faith, Mace, Sonny Double 1, and Levi. Entry is £5. The concert runs from 7.30pm until 10pm.