On 15th August, what would have been my Dads 98th Birthday, I’m going to swim 72 lengths of Hinksey Lido to raise money for the Grenfell Community.

My Dad, Clifford Wearden, was one of the original architects of the Lancaster West Estate, of which Grenfell Tower is a part. His vision was for a place for community to thrive.

The one thing that has shone bright out of the horrific tragedy of the Grenfell Fire, and touched so many around the world, is the strength and dignity of this community. A community that has been through a living hell, not only through the tragedy of the fire but the abandonment and lack of care by the government and local council in the aftermath.

I attended the memorial service on 14th June. The community organised the whole day with such thoughtfulness, precision, love, creativity, inclusiveness, respect for the grieving families and dignity. It touched me deeply. One young women, who I held while she broke in her grief, came up to me after the service to thank me. When I told her my Dad was the original architect, her face lit up. She said 'I have been so happy living here, you should be proud of your Dad". We shared a hug, tears and a moment of joy together.

72 people died because of the fire and it is the intention of the community that these lives will never be forgotten.

Money raised will go to The Grenfell Foundation – a charity set up to provide support and assistance to the generations affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy for years to come, with an emphasis on community, well-being and education.

www.grenfellfoundation.org.uk

I am doing this swim to honour Dads work and to show my support to this inspiring community, in the small way I can. And I am doing it through something l love, being in the water, which was one of Dads favourite things too. I am not one to swim lengths though, I tend to do a couple and then flip about being a mermaid. So, while it’s not a great distance, it’s going to be a pretty big challenge for me to keep to swimming the lengths and to keep count!

It is my hope to give as much as we can to this community. I am seeing what a difference the support, on all levels, is making.

I invite you to give what you can...

Thank you....

Sarah