Hello all.

Home from France finally, for just over a week now.

All the kitchens and community spaces in the Dunkirk camp are now finished and up and running, it was a mammoth job that ended up bigger than any of us had imagined, with the estimated five to six weeks build time turning into three months. None of it would have been possible without the massive commitment and help from the hundreds of volunteers who worked on the build and with donations from all over the world in cash and kind. A huge thank you from all of us to all who contributed. We have made a difference. People are cooking for themselves everyday in the kitchens and using the community spaces, it works.

None of us know how things will pan out in the camps in northern France, for now it appears stuck, maybe a lull during the European cup and Ramadan. The Dunkirk camp is comfortable, Calais Jungle is far from it. Despite the lack of reporting in our media, the refugee situation in France and across Europe has not gone away, our help is still needed, please keep supporting the cause.

For me the experience of working in the camps since last October has been one that will sit with me for the rest of my life, a strange mix of the best and the worst of human kind, one thing is for sure it has renewed my faith in the possible humanitarianism within us all. It's been amazing to see the coming together of people of all ages and from all walks of life to work towards the common cause of compassion for other human beings.

As a good friend who worked with me on this said “We the people”. He is right, It really is us that can make a difference.

Lots of love and thanks again. Finn