No guidance: Government failure forces Grenfell tragedy survivors to take matters into their own hands

Forty families were represented at a 90-minute meeting at the Rugby Portobello Trust on Monday, with no representation from government present.

The meeting was organised by the newly established Grenfell Tower Resident’s Association.

“The victims and the survivors of Grenfell Tower have not been given the right guidance, representation and leadership they deserve from a government that has let them down,” said Shahin Sadafi, one of the event organisers.

“These people are now forced to come together to represent themselves, without any organisation or support group.”

Several attendees described the meeting as “chaotic”, as some translators were not allowed into the room.

The victims and the survivors of Grenfell Tower have not been given the right guidance, representation and leadership they deserve from a government that has let them down

“We were told that only residents were allowed into the meeting and nobody else,” said one translator and social worker called Mohammed.

A large proportion of the Grenfell survivors speak English as a second language.

In an interview with reporters outside the meeting, an Iranian resident called Mahboubeh said she thought the meeting was “confusing”.

“I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t understand what happened in there,” she said.

A manager for the Rugby Portobello Trust declined to comment.

Some survivors have not received any help, guidance or support from local organisations, despite a massive outpouring of charity from around the world.

Volunteers told The New Arab that seven members of one Syrian family slept in their car after the tower burned down because they did not know that there was any support available to them.

Seven members of one Syrian family slept in their car after the tower burned down because they did not know that there was any support available to them

There have also been numerous reports of residents not receiving any counselling or emotional support, having witnessed highly traumatic events.

Justice for Grenfell campaign

A separate gathering was held near the Westway centre at 5.30pm, where a group of activists launched the Justice for Grenfell Campaign.

Kensington’s newest Labour MP, Emma Dent Coad, spoke at the event, saying that people must hold those responsible to account.

“Many of you are angry and so am I,” MP Coad said.

“I watched as repeated warnings over safety were ignored and campaigners vilified, threatened and marginalised.”

It is not known if the two groups are coordinated or if the organisers are working together.

Volunteers said they had not seen any members of the council or the landlord, the KCTMO, at the main reception centre in Westway.

The council has been widely criticised for its total inaction after the tragedy, in which an undetermined number of people have died.

The Kensington and Chelsea Council was removed from managing the disaster response on Sunday and replaced with a specialist group of council chief executives, called 'Gold Command'.

"This new team is now leading the recovery and response to the Grenfell Tower fire," Eleanor Kelly, chief executive of Southwark council, said in a statement.