It’s hard to believe that it’s 2 years since the tragedy at Grenfell struck the heart of the nation. Our thoughts go to the families of all those who have been affected by what happened.

The news today is full of remembrance, for the 72 people who sadly lost their lives that day and for the friends and families of all who were involved. The garden that ensures that they are never forgotten and that grieving families have a place to remember their loved ones, and the memorial mosaic that pays tribute to them. There will be services held today, where survivors and families come together to reflect and remember. As BBC reports:

Karim Mussilhy, whose uncle died in the fire, said: “Our plan is to come together with the rest of the community and be with each other, share some tears with each other, smiles with each other, and put our arms around each other and remember our loved ones and pay our respects.” Sourced from the BBC

Whilst the day is dedicated to remembrance, there are also questions. The news reports today that there are more than 200 buildings with cladding which needs replacing. BBC reports that ” Out of 328 buildings that still have aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding, 221 are awaiting work to start. ” That’s quite a statistic, and that covers only buildings with ACM cladding and excludes buildings with other fire safety issues.

Fire safety is so often ignored until it’s too late. Our hope would be that those affected may find some comfort in today’s memorial events.

Photo by Quin Stevenson.