Cornwall passes through Kensington on the Grenfell Silent Walk

Cornwall Hugs Grenfell brought visible, audible and physical solidarity from Cornwall to Kensington on Friday to join commemorations of the 7th anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people on June 14, 2017.

Founder Esmé Page delivered messages from business owners and individuals and returned with dozens of ‘hugs’ and messages from some of the more than 500 guests who visited the duchy with the respite charity over the course of the last seven years.

The Cornwall Hugs sign carried the slogan “Cornwall to Kensington We Stand Together” below a photo of the special Grenfell Street sign in Mousehole. The ancient granite street depicted stood in stark contrast to the shrouded tower, also bearing its giant green heart, and emphasized the strength of solidarity across a distance of 300 miles.

A new memorial plaque has been added to Grenfell Street in Mousehole and members of the Grenfell community have helped Esmé add a message with an image of the plaque to the Grenfell Wall of Remembrance just below the tower. It carries the simple message: ‘From Cornwall with love’. This new commemorative plaque is installed in Mousehole, Cornwall.

At the Grenfell memorial service at All Saints Church, Notting Hill, Cornwall Hugs’ video of the charity’s 2018 solidarity song, ‘Grenfell: From Today’, featuring backing vocalists from the Grenfell choir Truro Cathedral and images of Grenfell guests in Cornwall, was screened at the request of Anne-Marie Murphy who visited Cornwall last year.

She said of the song: “I listened to the chorus sing ‘Grenfell: From Today’ over and over. The first time I listened to it, I was very moved, it’s absolutely magnificent. At the memorial service, Esmé introduced the video saying: “We want you to know that you are not alone and that 300 miles away there are thousands of people in Cornwall who still stand in solidarity with you . »

“It was a day of hugs, tears and many heartfelt exchanges. Many mourners said how much the song moved them. I wish composer Philip Stopford and Andrew Longfield could have heard their comments, as well as all the young choristers, who felt so tenderly connected to the plight of their peers in London, when we recorded it,” said Esmé .

During the day, Esmé met many of Cornwall’s former respite guests, from those who came just after the 2017 fire to those who arrived in October 2023. They fondly remembered their time at the edge of the ocean and highlighted how vital continued solidarity is. of their “sister” community.

Esmé explains: “All day families from Grenfell and firefighters came to give hugs and send messages to those who welcomed them to Cornwall. Several counselors and support workers came to share how therapeutic the visits were for their clients.

“But it is solidarity that they need most now. As survivors and bereaved wearily enter their eighth year of fighting for fundamental justice and vital change, they all spoke of how much they need others to help them amplify their voices in order to prevent further tragedies for others. With thousands of blocks still covered in flammable material, another Grenfell, they predict, is only a matter of time.

In the afternoon, children from the Grenfell community released white doves at the base of the tower, one for each of the 18 children who died in the tragedy, the youngest being Logan Gomes, who was stillborn at 7 months.

Multi-sector solidarity with Grenfell was strong, with speakers from other campaign groups demanding systematic follow-up of vital recommendations from public inquiries – so far there is no mechanism to ensure this.

Jason Evans, from the Factor 8 campaign, who lost his father, aged 4, to infected blood, spoke powerfully, as did a representative from the Covid19 group Bereaved. Grenfell United, COVID-19 Bereaved and Factor 8 are now calling for the next Prime Minister to establish a “national oversight mechanism”, which would review and analyze the work carried out following investigations, government-commissioned reviews and public inquiries.

Jason Evans said passionately: “When these investigations deliver their recommendations, there is NOTHING to make them happen. The delayed final report of the public inquiry into the Grenfell fires is now expected to be published later this year.

Ahead of the annual silent march, teenagers gave powerful speeches, taking up the baton in the fight for justice and the regulations needed to prevent another Grenfell tragedy. One of them read a poem that ended: “We weren’t allowed to speak as little girls and boys, but now we’re getting older, we’re making noise!” »

Across the Duchy, from Truro Cathedral to the Isles of Scilly and even outside the county of Cambridge and Lees, a special prayer written especially by the Right Reverend Hugh Nelson, Bishop of St Germans and Acting Bishop of Truro.

Throughout the day on June 14, local radio stations broadcast commemorative reports and interviews from Cornwall Hugs, marking the anniversary of Grenfell in Cornwall, which played such a key role in supporting those affected.