Finding hope for the long-haul

As a local resident and Church Worker at Latymer Community Church situated in the shadow of the Tower, I was deeply affected by the fire, whilst also helping with the community response in the days, weeks, and months that followed. Initially, we were in the heroic stages of trauma response, buoyed up by the support of others and focusing on the many tasks that needed to be done.

But as the months turned to years, we were still living in the shadow of the Tower, still doing the Silent Walk for justice each month, still locked in a relationship with the local council, and the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry was still taking evidence. I felt that we desperately needed hope for the long haul, and so I applied for a Churchill Fellowship, which was awarded in February 2020. Within weeks we had locked down so it was 2023 by the time I was able to travel to Christchurch, New Zealand, to research their community response to the earthquakes of 2010/11 and the mosque shootings of 2019.

If there is one thing that I have learned, it’s that, as Nelson Mandela said, “We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.” I met so many extraordinary ordinary people who were agents for change simply by being themselves and bringing their unique contribution to situations of unimaginable pain and trauma.

The many fantastic initiatives which arose from both the earthquakes and the mosque shootings in Christchurch, demonstrated cross-cutting themes of healing and transformation.

Healing was aided by creativity, remembering well, and forgiveness. There were many different creative responses that helped people on their healing journey, and Peter Majendie’s community memorial of 185 empty chairs, one for each of the earthquake’s victims, was a powerful example of remembering well.

The most extraordinary ordinary person I met was Farid Ahmed, an incredibly humble and courageous man who, at the time of the shootings, immediately forgave his wife’s killer. At the Memorial Service, just days after the event, he said, “I don’t want to have a heart that is boiling like a volcano…I want a heart that is full of love and care and full of mercy, and will forgive lavishly... I cannot hate him. I cannot hate anyone.” He has become a global ambassador for peace and forgiveness.

I also saw many examples of transformation coming about through community ownership and collaborative working. Steve Jones-Poole, an activist who has worked both within the police force and in the voluntary sector, is passionate about the best work being done by the community rather than to it, and he always works with the community to help them solve the problems that matter to them rather than imposing solutions. Some of the most impressive collaborative working was the work of the Sakinah Trust, set up by women bereaved by the shootings, who are the driving force behind Unity Week, which now happens each year around the anniversary of the attacks.

So, how has this inspired me to be an agent for change in the UK? It's been seven years since the fire, and progress has felt agonisingly slow on any number of fronts, but I believe that the publication of the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry report is a significant milestone. Key to our future will be seeing concrete actions from the government, the council, and others in response to the report.

I find hope in working towards post-traumatic growth. The launch of my report reached 53 people across 21 organisations, and I painted a picture of a future for our Grenfell community where trauma and injustice are the drivers for a better and more equitable future. I am proud to have joined the Churchill Fellowship’s community of changemakers and am looking forward to continuing to build relationships across sectors to work towards healing and transformation.