Soap, suds and sirens: Suffolk’s firefighters to lather up for a worthy cause

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) will be washing cars at its fire stations across the county on Saturday 28 June between 10am-2pm in return for a donation to the Fire Fighters Charity.
Published: 23 Jun 2025

The event - The Chief’s Challenge - is being organised by SFRS firefighter Ed Crawford, who has taken on the role of charity co-ordinator for the Fire Fighters Charity in Suffolk.

The charity provides vital clinical care and wellbeing support to members of the UK’s fire services and their families. It helps them cope with physical, emotional and social challenges, supports recovery from injuries and illness, and assists with the transition to life after service.

By simply taking your car for a wash, you can help ensure that our county’s firefighters have reliable support when they face tough times - just as you can always count on them to be there for you in yours.

Commenting on what the Service hopes to achieve from the initiative, Ed said: “We are aiming to wash as many cars as possible and hope to raise a total of at least £10,000. With the support of our communities, this is an achievable goal.”

“With average prices for a hand car wash ranging anywhere between £7 and £100, we’re offering our services at an absolute steal.”

Thanks to a generous donation of £1,000 from Greene King Brewery - which has been brewing quality beer in Bury St Edmunds for over 200 years - the event will be well-equipped. The funds will be used to purchase essential car wash equipment such as soap, sponges, and buckets. There’ll be no cheating with high-pressure hoses - it’s all about good old-fashioned elbow grease!

Martin Hayes, Finance Director for Brewing and Brands at Greene King, said: “It is a pleasure to be able to support the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service with its charity event and we encourage anyone in the area on the 28th June to visit and support this brilliant cause.”

SFRS stations taking part are Brandon, Bury St Edmunds, Clare, Elmswell, Eye, Framlingham, Hadleigh, Haverhill, Ixworth, Lowestoft South, Newmarket, Orford, Stowmarket, Sudbury, Wickhambrook and Wrentham.

Halesworth fire station held one on the 25th May and raised £673.57 (not including card donations), and Bungay has one planned for 5th July.

For further information about the charity, please visit www.firefighterscharity.org.uk.

Firefighters and staff from Greene King pose outside Greene King in front of a fire engine holding a banner launching the charity car wash
First and second on the left: Lianne Bakdur, Senior Laboratory Technician and Alan Fulcher, Technical Brewer from Greene King. Holding banner - crew from White Watch Bury St Edmunds with Ed Crawford pictured far right. At the back is David Fitt, Brewing Shift Manager, Greene King and in the blue shirt on the right is Martin Hayes, Finance Director for Brewing and Brands at Greene King.