Firefighters to row 65 miles for charitable causes

Firefighters from the Service’s recruits’ course are set to row the length of the River Trent next Monday (11 July) in order to raise funds for charity.

Wholetime recruit Jonathan Ross and a cohort of seven colleagues will be stationed inside Morrisons supermarket within Festival Park, Stoke-on-Trent, on indoor rowers.

Each will row and contribute to a collective 65 miles to raise money for The Firefighter’s Charity and the Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service Memorial Garden.

All of the proceeds raised will be split evenly between the two causes, which remain close to the hearts of both serving and retired members of the fire family.

More than £400 in donations to the GoFundMe page have already been received, closing in on halfway to the target amount of £1,000.

“As a service, we are always looking at ways we can contribute to valued charities and causes across the county,” said Jonathan.

“We wanted to push ourselves and take on this challenge in visibility of the public to ensure these charities receive the recognition they deserve.

Money raised for the Firefighter’s Charity will contribute to the support of the mental, physical and social needs of all serving and retired members of Fire Services in the UK.

The charity sees volunteers offer specialist support for members of the fire community, through independent and personalised support to thousands of people each year – including firefighters themselves, spouses, dependants and relatives.

The other 50 percent will be used to maintain the memorial garden at the Service’s HQ in Pirehill, Stone.

It marks the passing of previous employees and acts as a place of solace and remembrance for bereaved families and friends.

The fundraising aims to secure the long-term future of the garden and provide the funds for essential maintenance to preserve the site for as long as possible.

If you would like to donate or would like to read more information, visit the GoFundMe page here: Fundraiser by Jonny Ross : StaffordshireFRS Whole time course charity event (gofundme.com)