Grenfell survivors plan to be voice for those who died

Hanan Wahabi wants to be a voice for her relatives who died in the Grenfell fire

The bereaved and survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have said they will be a voice for those who died when they meet representatives from organisations they hold responsible for the 2017 disaster in which 72 people died.

Some have said they will use Grenfell Testimony Week, being held in London from Tuesday, to call for change.

The event forms part of a settlement agreement signed in 2023.

There will be spoken testimony, written statements, and artwork.

Hanan Wahabi survived the blaze but lost her eldest brother Abdulaziz El-Wahabi, 52, his wife Faouzia, 41, and their children Yasin, 20, Nur Huda, 16, and Mehdi, eight.

• What happened at Grenfell Tower?

• London fire: A tale of two tower blocks

• Grenfell Inquiry: What is happening?

She said: "I miss my family incredibly and I have to be their voice. I often think about what might have been - how my life would be with my big brother, his wife and their three children still in it."

She described her sibling as "a wonderful father, husband, son, uncle and brother - as well as community leader and friend" and said he would likely still be working as a hospital porter now if he had lived, while his wife "would still be doing her amazing work in the community" and their "three lovely children" would be "growing up and laughing with friends and family".

The El-Wahabi family lived on the 21st floor of Grenfell Tower (clockwise from top left): Faouzia, Nur Huda, Mehdi, Abdulaziz, Yasin

Ms Wahabi said Testimony Week "is a chance for me to share some of the devastating personal impact that night has had on me and my family - and to try to give some of the organisations that I hold responsible an insight into the horror faced by my brother and his family.

"It is a chance to reflect on the magnitude of the ongoing impact of that night, and the many failings that happened.

"What happened that night shows the worst of the built environment, housing, emergency services and central and local government. It is symbolic of a total lack of humanity and compassion, of putting people before profit, of a refusal to learn and change."

Georgina Smith's work depicts happy memories from the tower

Survivor Georgina Smith, who lost her good friend, 12-year-old Jessica Urbano Ramirez, in the fire, will have her artwork on display as part of Testimony Week.

Aged 19, Ms Smith is believed to be the youngest person to take part in the event, describing herself as an artist and activist.

She said: "All I wish for is change. A change to the systems which put us in this position and a reconsideration of whether the people who are in power are suitable to be making these decisions.

"I struggle to believe they have the correct morals and ethics to be doing so and it's costing lives. I want not only my work but my words to sit with everyone and stay with them forever."

She said her wish for the future is to see "charges and justice for those who lost their lives, the bereaved and the community".

Her artwork, which features family scenes and memories of happier times in the tower, is a means of "creating the life we were meant to live", she said.

She added: "The process of making work about Grenfell is reflective but also a form of my resistance to those who caused it.

"Every emotion I have felt gets channelled into my paintings as well as everyone else's emotions."

Georgina Smith said her paintings are a means of "creating the life we were meant to live"

Representatives from Celotex, Exova, London Fire Brigade, Kingspan, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Rydon, and Whirlpool Corporation are due to attend, as well as representatives from the Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Arconic, which supplied the cladding on the outside of the tower, said it has made a "significant financial contribution to fund the organisation" but regrets that no representatives can attend.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]