Representatives from Lidl GB recently visited Stanground Fire Station to donate a cheque for £999 to The Fire Fighters Charity.

Blue watch was on hand to accept the donation from Lidl, who were keen to show their gratitude following a fire at its Peterborough Distribution Centre (RDC) in February.  

Blue watch was the first crew to arrive at the fire, joining a total of 11 fire engines and around 40 firefighters, as well as a water carrier and an aerial appliance.

Crews from across the county worked swiftly to contain and ultimately extinguish the fire. Their quick actions ensured that everyone working on site was kept safe and any damage to the building was reduced, enabling operations to continue the same day.  

Station Commander Jason Fox, an officer at the incident, said: “This is a really generous donation from Lidl and we thank the team for their support for the charity.

“The incident was a challenging one for our crews, but their quick actions and hard work limited the damage to the building and allowed Lidl to be operational again the same day, reducing impact to the business.

“Our control colleagues also did a brilliant job behind the scenes, ensuring enough fire crews were sent to the incident as well as moving other crews around the county to ensure fire cover for other incidents that could come in.”

Regional Director for Lidl GB, Jasper Parsons, added: “On behalf of the team here at Lidl GB, we are incredibly grateful for the quick actions of the firefighters who helped put out the fire at our warehouse.

“Our distribution centres form the backbone of our operations with the Peterborough warehouse alone serving 80 stores, delivering household essentials to local communities across multiple regions.

“This donation is a small token of our appreciation for everyone’s hard work and attentiveness.

“We are truly thankful for the invaluable service that the crews across the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service deliver every day.”

The Fire Fighters Charity provides vital support to firefighters and their families across the UK.

Charlotte Smith, community fundraiser for The Fire Fighters Charity, said: “On behalf of everyone at The Fire Fighters Charity, I want to sincerely thank everyone involved for this kind donation from Lidl - we hugely appreciate the support.

“Donations like this go such a long way towards helping us continue offering vital health and wellbeing support to our fire services community.

“With your help, we can ensure they always have somewhere to turn."