In the early hours of 14 June 2017, Grenfell Tower in west London suffered a catastrophic fire and 72 lives were lost.
Five years later, Modus interviews Ed Daffarn – a social worker who survived the fire and is now a campaigner for improvements to social housing and member of Grenfell United. Ed speaks passionately about his experience on the night of the fire and what he sees as a “tragedy in three acts: how we were treated before the fire, how we were treated on the night of the fire and how we were treated subsequently.”
Ed co-authored a blog post several months before the fire which suggested that it would take a “serious fire in a tower block” for the mismanagement of the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) to be exposed. His concerns and those of so many other residents were largely ignored and he was labelled a troublemaker by the landlord.
Social housing standards form part of the core of RICS’ remit to effect positive change in the built environment.
Ed spoke to us while attending the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, hoping for truth, accountability and justice.
Modus commissioned photographer Philip Suddick for a shoot with Ed Daffarn on the Silchester Estate in west London, less than half a mile from where Grenfell Tower still stands as a memorial to those who were lost. The photos of Ed bring the article to life and show you a man who is lucky to be alive.
Read the full interview on RICS Modus here.