And the determination of a boxing club based at the foot of the tower to rise again was emblematic of the strength of that community.
Dale Youth Boxing Club, which had moved to Grenfell around the turn of the Millennium, has a roll of honour that matches any in the country.
The likes of WBA super-middleweight champion George Groves and former Olympic champion and IBF super-middleweight champion James DeGale once called the club home.
When the devastating fire hit, Dale Youth could have been forgiven for throwing in the towel.
True to the club’s enduring style, though, its coaches and boxers simply started again.
They trained on a patch of ground in full view of the charred remains of a tower that offered a painful reminder of a disaster no one will ever forget.
Their determination to carry on was symbolic of the area’s desire to battle back.
Mick Delaney, the trainer who runs Dale Youth, summoned up the club’s spirit of determination, saying: “As long as we’ve got a ring, some bags and some trainers, Dale Youth will be okay.” Last month, the club opened a new home in Ladbroke Grove, and every night the gym is alive once again to the sounds of young boxers learning their art, and hoping to follow in the illustrious footsteps of more than 100 national champions produced by the club.
The club has always been about more than simply training champions – thousands of young people have also learned valuable lessons about teamwork and discipline.
Mick said: “We intend to help start building the lives of young people again through our club and sport to show the spirit and commitment that exists locally and continue to be a focus for pride in the local community and continue to turn out generations of good citizens.”
The way people came together after the Grenfell fire was inspirational, and showed that incredible human spirit we all share. Dale Youth Boxing Club was at the heart of the community before the fire, and its determination to still be there after the fire is something that deserves to be honoured.Pride of Sport judges
