The problem
The preventable fire at Grenfell Tower in June 2017 killed 72 people. It exposed severe failures in housing safety, regulation, oversight and accountability. The families and community affected were left to deal not only with unimaginable loss, but also with complex and often inaccessible investigation and inquiry processes.
This was a disaster forewarned. Repeated warnings before the fire were ignored. In 2009, the Lakanal House fire killed six people in a 14-storey tower block in Camberwell. The Grenfell Inquiry exposed that many of the recommendations made following the Lakanal House fire were never implemented.
Our work
INQUEST committed to standing alongside the Grenfell community from the earliest days after the fire. Our work includes:
- Supporting bereaved families and survivors to navigate complex legal and investigatory processes
- Coordinating the Grenfell INQUEST Lawyers Group to ensure specialist representation
- Calling for and securing Pen Portraits, enabling families to tell their loved ones’ stories at the very start of the inquiry
- Holding a Family Consultation Day to hear directly from those affected
- Giving evidence to the Grenfell Inquiry on the appalling post death response and on the need for implementation and oversight of Inquiry recommendations
- Pushing for scrutiny that leads to truth, accountability and meaningful change
This work continues through our broader campaigns for systemic change, including No More Deaths and Hillsborough Law.
INQUEST is giving people who are challenged an opportunity to regrow their wings.
Grenfell bereaved family member
Our demands
Today
- Full accountability for those responsible, including criminal and corporate accountability
- The government and relevant authorities take immediate action on recommendations identified in the inquiry
- The government ensures meaningful involvement of bereaved families and survivors in decision making processes related to housing safety and rebuilding trust
Tomorrow
- The government establishes a National Oversight Mechanism to ensure recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry and others are acted on.
- The government invests in housing safety, regulation and oversight which genuinely protect communities, and which mean preventable disasters like Grenfell never happen again.
