On Monday 30th June, our parents - Carol and Jim Starbuck - lost their home in a devastating house fire in Thatcham, West Berkshire.

They’ve lived in the local community for 36 years, and for the past 17 years had been proud owners of their first home. As an Army family, they were once stationed in Germany, Canada and across the UK before settling in Thatcham, where they’ve raised a family and watched their five grandchildren grow.

The fire spread quickly during the recent heatwave and took five hours to bring under control. Multiple emergency vehicles attended, and you may have seen coverage on the local news (see link below). The cause is still unknown, and we’re currently waiting for structural reports before it’s safe to assess the damage; but the house has been completely destroyed.

Carol and Jim (both 71) were able to escape safely with their dog Poppy, but everything else was lost, including clothes, ID, and irreplaceable family belongings and photos.

Jim is a retired British Army veteran who worked in land surveying and satellite navigation. Carol still works part-time in her career as an NHS midwife. Incredibly, her first instinct immediately after the fire was to find a way to contact her colleagues to let them know she wouldn’t be in at 7am the next morning.

Unfortunately, they were uninsured. Their policy had lapsed and wasn’t renewed; a painful oversight. Now, without that financial safety net, they’re facing the huge task of trying to rebuild their lives and their home from scratch.

We’ve started this fundraiser to help cover:

• Emergency accommodation

• Essential clothing and toiletries

• Replacing ID and vital documents

• Initial clean-up and safety costs around the house

• Legal and surveyor expenses

There will be more to come, and we’ll share updates here as the situation unfolds.

Carol and Jim are proud, private people who have spent their lives helping others, through military service and the NHS. Now, they need a little help themselves.

Thank you so much for reading, sharing, and supporting. Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a difference.

With love and gratitude,

The Starbuck family

BBC News:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce833p4nrzjo#:~:text=%22Eight%20firefighters%20equipped%20with%20breathing,returned%20for%20a%20reinspection%20later.

GoFundMe requires me to add this information here, for transparency:

- Carol and Jim are my parents-in-law.

- We will transfer raised funds to a family member's account, which will then be passed to Carol and Jim directly once they have been able to fully access their own banking again.

- The above process will be done through Steve Starbuck, my brother-in-law and one of Carol and Jim's sons.