St Mary’s Walthamstow has organised a fundraiser for two households who have been left homeless after Network Rail demolished their homes this week, reports Marco Marcelline
Over £7,500 has been raised so far for two families who have been left homeless after the horrific blaze that tore through homes and gardens in Walthamstow on Sunday (12th July).
On Tuesday (14th July), Network Rail engineers decided that a Shernhall Street home needed to be demolished due to the “significant structural instability and risk” it posed to the railway and the public highway.
The demolition work is understood to have begun late on Tuesday, with engineers using cranes, scaffold towers and power tools in order to carry out the demolition.
In a bid to help with the plight of the families who lived in that building, St Mary’s Walthamstow organised a GoFundMe, which has already raised over £7,500 so far today.
The church wrote in their online appeal: “The two households lost everything when fire ripped through their flats at 75 Shernhall Street. The building itself has now been demolished meaning they will likely face many months of being homeless as well as having to start again.
“The fire took everything but the clothes that they were wearing that day. The fund is our way as a community of trying to support them to manage the devastating financial impact of this fire and rebuild their lives here in Walthamstow.
“Every penny raised will be passed to the residents of 75 Shernhall Street to support them in this difficult time.”
St Mary’s and Ghousia Grove Road Hall opened their doors to hundreds of people who were forced to evacuate their homes due to the fire on Sunday.
While the vast majority were able to return to their homes when the fire was brought under control that night, both venues received a wave of donations of food, clothing and essential items for affected residents.
Speaking to the Echo, St Mary’s Reverend Vanessa Conant paid tribute to the response of the local community in the immediate aftermath of the blaze, saying: “It’s a real example of how Walthamstow as a community unites in times of crisis; people here are creative and connected and they always find a way to help people in need.”
You can donate to the fundraiser here
Read more: July 2025 wildfire broke out in same location as last weekend’s devastating Walthamstow blaze
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