UK to observe minute's silence for victims of Grenfell Tower fire
The United Kingdom will observe a minute’s silence at 11am on Monday 19 June in remembrance of those who lost their lives and all those affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower.
The United Kingdom will observe a minute’s silence at 11am on Monday 19 June in remembrance of those who lost their lives and all those affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower.
The silence will be marked at all Government buildings and other organisations may follow suit.
On Friday the Prime Minister met with survivors, residents, volunteers and community leaders where she set out a comprehensive package of support for victims of the tragedy.
This includes:
- A commitment that victims who lost their homes be rehoused within a maximum of three weeks;
- A £5 million Grenfell Tower Residents’ Discretionary Fund, made immediately available; and
- A guarantee to rehouse people as close as practically possible to where they previously lived.
Following the second meeting of the Grenfell Tower Recovery Taskforce, chaired by the Prime Minister, the Government is today announcing further measures to support those who lost loved ones and members of the emergency services:
- Providing an additional £1.5m to pay for mental health support to the Emergency Services through Mind’s Blue Light Programme, including to ensure those involved in the response to the Grenfell Tower fire are able to receive targeted support should they need it; and
- Ensuring there is tailored bereavement support for the families of those who have lost loved ones, those who have family members still missing or have been affected by the tragedy. We will offer each family support from their own named mental health practitioner, in addition to the support they receive from the police Family Liaison Officers.
Prime Minister Theresa May said:
The residents of Grenfell Tower, families who have lost loved ones, and the emergency services who have been working so hard to help them have been through some of the most harrowing and traumatic experiences imaginable. As we do everything we can to help them, we will make sure they have the counselling and emotional support they need in the difficult days, weeks and years ahead.
Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt said:
What we have witnessed at Grenfell is truly horrific and my thoughts are with all those affected by this terrible tragedy. We are ready to do everything we can to help – which is why the NHS will be offering specialist bereavement support to all of the bereaved families.
I would like to pay tribute to our heroic emergency services for their response - particularly those NHS staff who once again have gone above and beyond in order to provide outstanding, compassionate care.
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said:
This funding enables us to extend and expand Mind’s Blue Light Programme so that we can continue to support and reach more people who work in the emergency services. As recent terrible events in London and Manchester have brought to light, Blue Light workers do an extremely challenging job, encountering difficult and traumatic situations. That’s why it’s so important that comprehensive, ongoing mental health support is available in the short and long term.
If a family is in need of extra psychological support, or if a Family Liaison Officer believes that they are and obtains the agreement of the family, the bereavement pathway announced today will provide a named NHS mental-health practitioner to provide that specific support.
Additional information:
1) LIBOR provided £10m between 2014 and 2016 to support Emergency Service Charities, including Blue Light mental health projects. At the Autumn Statement in 2016 the Government committed a further £2.3m to the Ambulance Services Charity and £1.5m to MIND for additional Blue Light Mental Health. Today the government is announcing an additional £1.5m for Blue Light Mental Health Support.
2) Mind is delivering the Blue Light Programme to provide mental health support for emergency services staff and volunteers from ambulance, fire, police and search and rescue services across England and Wales. Thousands of staff and volunteers across these services have actively challenged mental health stigma, learnt more about mental health and made positive changes in their approach to wellbeing with the support of the Blue Light Programme so far. More detail here:
3) To provide a comprehensive government response to the tragedy the Prime Minister set up the dedicated Grenfell Tower Recovery task force, chaired by her with representation from a number of Whitehall departments including the Treasury, Home Office and Department for Communities & Local Government.