The Grenfell Tower disaster five years ago today claimed 72 lives and shattered a west London community. Ever since, survivors, bereaved families and residents of the area have been leaving tributes, creating artworks and unofficially memorialising the tragedy.
It has been clear that a permanent memorial will be needed, and the task of deciding what that should be has fallen to the Grenfell Memorial Committee. One of those on the board is Andrea Newton, who told Nosheen Iqbal that the committee had been doing careful work of consensus-building in the community.
As Rob Booth explains, it is difficult work, not least because the future of the tower itself is bound up in the decision. For many in the area, the tower is an unwelcome daily reminder of that terrible night. For others, it is a reassuring presence and a sacred place. Karim Mussilhy lost his uncle in the fire and he tells Nosheen that he wants the tower to stand there as a reprimand to the authorities who are yet to deliver justice to the community.
Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA Support The Guardian
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