24 Apr 2025
Day and night they’re there; ready for a call to run towards burning buildings, help trapped people out of vehicles and even cats stuck up trees. They can get dressed faster than anybody else you know and now they are happy to wash your car during their downtime to help raise money for charity. Heroic, much?
St Albans Fire Station on London Road is taking part in a national car wash fundraiser on Saturday April 26 to raise money for two worthy causes.
Every year, hundreds of firefighters across the UK wash as many cars as possible to raise money for the Fire Fighters Charity. It provides a vast range of support for people who work or have worked in the service.
MIND is a mental health charity providing counselling, peer support, advocacy and more to people affected by mental ill health.
Firefighter Darragh Greaney of Green Watch at St Albans fire station told us what it means to him: “Having lots of people come along to the station to have their cars washed will make a huge difference.
“As a station, we very much enjoy putting on these events. Charity car washes are something we can do to raise money and at the same time make people’s cars shine.”
Darragh said that the last charity car wash they held in September 2024 raised £830 and beating that total would be “amazing”.
You might ask why firefighters have to raise money, given that it’s a public service.
Warren Wyeth, also of Green Watch, explained: “The charities we are supporting do fantastic work and as such we are always more than happy to support them in any way we can.
He explained that the Fire Fighters Charity supports every member of the UK’s fire family by providing them with easy access to proactive health and wellbeing as well as information and lifestyle advice which is specific to the fire community.
He said the charity helps firefighters live well throughout their lives: “But, when something goes wrong and a need arises, they are always there too.”
Warren said what he loves most about his job is knowing that his actions at an incident are helping someone get back to their family and added: “It’s always a good feeling.”
He said: “As no day is the same for us at work, we are always kept busy.
“Being part of a team is great. Green Watch St Albans have always been a good bunch who love a laugh and a joke. Long may it continue, as you need a way to de-stress with all the unfortunate incidents we deal with.”
Warren is also running the London Marathon in aid of both charities.
The car washing, sponsored by Autoglym, will take place at St Albans Fire Station on Saturday April 26 between 10am and 1pm.
