Sunday the 14th of June passed differently than the two previous annual commemorations. This time, the passing of time was overlaid by the ravages of COVID19. There was no official silent walk, that potent symbol of resilience, determination and stoicism. And yet there was plenty of ways on offer to mark this sombre occasion. There was a small act of remembrance next to the tower in the morning, an online service hosted by Humanity for Grenfell supported by a whole coterie of people at 1pm in which community members, clerics, singers, musicians and dignitaries took part. Throughout the afternoon and into the evening Grenfell United created an online safe space to reflect on the legacy of the fire with discussions from guests and community folk. Grenfell United also hosted an evening event featuring a multitude of musicians and community members featuring a vigil and an extremely moving 72 note peal of bells across the country including St Paul's. Commemorations continued into the night with lanterns turned green across the borough and wider afield.
COVID19 brought echoes to the wider community of the hours and days following the fire - Karim Mussilhy speaking from the heart said;
“Especially in the beginning, there were a lot of similarities to what was happening just after the fire... Being able to know what’s going on with your loved ones when they were taken into hospital, waiting by the TV listening to the number of deaths rising every day, being glued to the TV for any sort of news and not being able to know where to go or who to turn to.”
Three years on it might sometimes seem like a reflex the 72 second silences at meetings, the silent walks, the fading green hearts on fences, the buttonholes in lapels - but here in North Kensington despite COVID19 - it is still yesterday. We remember yesterday, today and take this history into the future not to keep the community in amber frozen in time but to ensure the same errors are not repeated. Thank you to everyone who once more worked so tirelessly to enable the community, albeit online, to remember and to share the messages of lessons to learn and hope for the future.

(picture Antony, Capriece and Vernon)

A month ago I wrote about the under 65 food provision run in conjunction with several partners chiefly The Venture Centre, Bay 20, SMART, Westway Community Transport and RBKC has provided hundreds of weekly food shops across the borough. Well, even though we have moved into a different stage in the Pandemic, the need remains. Living with COVID19 means for some things remain equally as difficult as in the first weeks and for others the trauma is on the horizon when jobs for are terminated or income decimated by the removal of the furlough scheme. So the offer remains accessible through KCSC or RBKC, though the scheme may change in the weeks to come, as will others we in the voluntary sector shall remain alert to the impact of the virus on our community, and respond accordingly. 

Last year I was approached by a documentary maker Fleur Launspach who was intent on making a film about Grenfell. To be honest I was not in the least bit interested as Grenfell had been covered wall to wall by the media and frequently resulted in more heartache for the community. Over the course of two meetings Fleur convinced me that the film would not be exploitative, was part of a considered series of films linking together civic tragedies in Bhopal and Genoa and looking at recovery. It was about what happens when the public glare goes away.

I decided it was not for me to be the person who decided on the narrative for the community so I reached out to several people in the community to see if they or others thought it was a worthy project or a mawkish adventure on the part of the film makers. I have attached the finished film. Personally I found it to be a bitter/sweet film with elements of a community looking to the future. 

Warning the film has images of the fire throughout the half hour, it is also in Dutch - but most of the interviews are in English.