Bethany Pollard, Josh Rankine, Charlotte Balf, and Ruby Slack were part of an 11-strong team that embarked on the 121-mile walk from College Green, Bristol to Grenfell Tower, London.
The relay walk, which took a year to plan, saw each of the 12 participants cover at least 15 miles a day to ensure the daily target of 45 miles was achieved.
The walk raised a total of £6,840.34 after LiveWest matched the amount received from sponsors. The money will go into the Grenfell Foundation, which provides independent support to the former residents of Grenfell Tower, their families, dependents and the local community.
Bethany, Josh, and Ruby met Sandra Ruiz, the aunt of Grenfell fire victim Jessica Urbano Ramirez, 12, at the bottom of the tower where a beautiful mural has been created by the local community.
Our Homeownership and Commercial Officer Bethany said: “Sandra thanked us and said she was so happy the message was continuing to be spread as she, along with the rest of the foundation, is concerned the media attention seems to be waning as time goes along.
“After presenting the cheque, we then took part in the silent walk. This takes place at 7pm on the 14th of every month to mark another month since the fire.
“I must say it is a moving experience; London is rarely quiet or still, but on that one mile walk around the tower and the local community everyone really does respect the silence and come together to remember the 72 lives lost.
“At the end of the walk, the names of the 72 victims are read one by one and after each cluster of names, the walkers say out loud ‘Forever in our hearts’ which is a lovely way to remember them.
“I feel so proud to have been part of this event, and presenting the cheque. Getting to meet Sandra from The Grenfell Foundation was really just the icing on the cake.
“You can really see where the money is going to be used to help the community in a real way. I can’t wait to get planning the next fundraiser.”