My name is Jude Bennet, in 2015 I co-founded Refugee Rescue, a humanitarian Search and Rescue (SAR) team, in response to the growing refugee crisis and to the 4,500 refugees that have perished in Aegean sea whilst desperately fleeing war and persecution in their home counties. We simply had to do something to ensure that no more innocent lives lost are lost at sea.

Refugee Rescue is funded purely by donations and volunteers and we urgently need your help to continue over Christmas.

As winter sets in and the amount of 'smuggler drops' rise – and women, children and men are literally being thrown into freezing waters to swim to shore. The volunteer crew and rescue boat 'Mo Chara' ('My Friend' in Irish) is working tirelessly in difficult conditions but without your help we will have to cease operations meaning more lives will be lost as a result of this terrible crisis.