Grenfell Tower residents in uproar over failure to distribute donations, five weeks after fire

Angry questions were raised at a public meeting on Tuesday over the £20 million (US$26 million) raised by charities and individual fundraisers for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, with residents demanding to know why so little money had been disbursed to affected residents.

“Where is this money? It’s not reaching the Grenfell survivors,” shouted one person. “This is money that was given by Joe Public; where is it now? Who gives these people the right to say how this money is distributed?”

The questions were directed at a panel of experts invited by the Grenfell Response Team, the official government and local authority unit which organised the two-hour meeting at the Notting Hill Methodist church.

Barry Quirk, the interim chief executive of Kensington and Chelsea council, said the sums raised were phenomenal and included money donated via 700 JustGiving pages as well as major appeals launched by the Red Cross, the Evening Standard and the Kensington and Chelsea Foundation.

“None of this money is controlled by the authority [the council],” he said. “It’s controlled by the Charity Commission and it’s right that you should have full disclosure.”

According to the BBC, less than £800,000 of the £20 million donated has been disbursed in the five weeks since the June 14 blaze. Charities and others involved in managing the money say they have to ensure it is properly accounted for and it reaches the right people. But some admit that the multiple appeals and funds have led to a chaotic situation.