100 churches to mark 3rd anniversary of Grenfell Tower fire with bell ringing, as campaign goes national

More than 100 churches have joined the Bishop of Kensington’s campaign to mark the third anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire by ringing their bells 72 times at 6pm on Sunday, 14th June.

Parish churches from across the Capital have joined well-known sites such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Southwark Cathedral in signing up.

Over the weekend, Bishop Graham stepped up efforts by contacting Diocesan Bishops across the country to call on them to join the campaign.  In doing so, he reminded them that the Grenfell Tower fire was more than just a London event, but one affected people deeply across the entire country and indeed the world.

The Bishop of Kensington, the Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin, said:

“The fact that over 100 churches are now involved is a welcome reminder of how significant the feeling of grief is, and of the depth of support in local communities for the families and friends of the 72 victims, who still mourn for their loved ones and seek justice.
“Over the weekend I emailed my colleagues in Dioceses across the country to ask them to join in solidarity with churches in London by ringing their bells.  The hope is that on Sunday 14th June bells will ring across our nation; bells of remembrance, of sympathy and support for those whose lives were changed forever that day and of hope that nothing like it will ever happen again.  I invite as many churches as possible to join in ringing their bells, and those who listen to join in the silence that follows to remember this tragedy that affected our national life so deeply.”

 Grenfell United, the bereaved families and survivors group, said:

“It means a lot to our families and the community that across the nation bells will ring out in memory of 72 loved ones lost at Grenfell. Thank you to all faith communities across the country that stand with our community in North Kensington to pay respect and show that 72 lives are forever in our hearts.”