Licensee Joshua Burton kept the pub open all night to support local residents that were evacuated from their homes during a major fire incident.
He and his staff received a letter from the Mayor of Lewisham Brenda Dacres OBE praising them for their help during the incident.
She said: “Your willingness to assist at such short notice made a real difference to those affected and to our teams working on the ground.
“Your generosity and community spirit were greatly appreciated by everyone involved.”
Community spirit
Burton told The Morning Advertiser (The MA) that he soon realised this was a major incident after around 15 fire engines turned up on the street at in the afternoon of Wednesday 20 August.
The pub became a retreat to many people, including two pregnant women, who were evacuated from flats in the area.
He explained the Five Bells lost electricity twice during the incident, which saw more than 100 firefighters on the scene, but kept the pub open all night until 6am.
Despite the tragedy of the incident, the operator said the community got together in the pub and there was even a singalong on the night.
Nice uplift
“It wasn’t just the pub, there were local residents that helped support those people as well. It’s a nice little uplift.
“There is way more of a community here than people may have even realised. It’s just unfortunate you only really see it after crisis,” Burton added.
The pub still remains the hub of the area after the incident with local councillors coming in to check whether there are still any people in need of support.
Burton said the local church is also helping by serving three course meals on a Thursday for people that have lost their homes.
The pub also has put up flyers and has joined in with the local community to help with fundraising for people impacted.
