London Fire Brigade Sub Officer, Kim Jerray-Silver, has been awarded a British Citizen Award in recognition of her contributions to the local community in Ealing.
Kim organises regular tea parties to provide older people who might struggle to leave their home, or who don’t have friends or family nearby, with a place to socialise, dance and find out what support is available to them locally.
Born in Ealing, Kim played for Arsenal ladies and was part of the treble winners’ team in 1997/98. In the year 2000, Kim signed for Fulham ladies who were the first women’s professional football team in Europe. A left back, she scored the trophy-winning penalty in 2002/3 Women’s Premier League Cup Final and has also been capped for England. She then joined London Fire Brigade in 2005 to retrain as a firefighter.
Kim said: “When I first joined London Fire Brigade I wanted to use the skills I’d learned as a professional footballer in a new way that would help people in my local area.
“The idea for the tea parties came about when we carried out Home Fire Safety Visits. We met lots of older people who were lonely because they didn’t have family nearby or they had mobility issues.
“We ring each person individually, invite them to a party and arrange free transport for them with the help of Ealing Community Transport and Age Concern.
“Even just having a date in the calendar can make people feel like they aren’t alone and gives them something to look forward to.
“At the parties, our Fire Cadets help to provide drinks, snacks and conversation for the guests. Over the years, we’ve had entertainment from a choir of local schoolchildren, ballet dancers and even a string quartet.
“I never expected to win an award and it’s not why we do the tea parties, we just want to help to combat loneliness in our community. The award is shared by everyone involved, including my Watch, the Cadets, their Volunteer Instructors and the countless others across the Brigade who have pitched in over the years.”
The tea parties have been running quarterly since 2017 and guests are chosen based on need by the local firefighters in Ealing.
