On June 7th I am leaving the UK to drive down through Europe to the island of Lesvos and I need your help with my journey. I will be taking as much as I can in my car but the main reason I shall be going is to help Nicos and Katerina. I know Nicos and Katerina from my meeting with them in January 2018 when with the British charity Hope and Aid Direct we delivered about 1.5 tonnes of pasta and rice and much more needed provisions to their charity on the Greek island of Lesvos. below is just a small part of their story:

“One afternoon in early 2014, Nikos was visiting shops to sell fish he caught earlier that day, when he came across a large group of refugees who had just landed on shore. Wet, tired, and hungry, they were grateful to be alive but in need of a lot of support. Moved by their journey and a drive to help them, Nikos used the money from the fish he just sold to buy them food, and gave them the clothes off his back. Upon his return home, he told his wife, Katerina about the experience, and she got to work right away in the kitchen, preparing 40 home cooked meals to bring to them. Hours later, the food packed up and their car filled with every blanket and piece of clothing that they could spare, they found themselves searching the area where Nikos left them. Unsuccessful in their mission, they learned that the refugees had been detained by local police - the refugees weren’t allowed out, and Nikos and Katerina (nor their food) were allowed in. Stumped, they drove to the beach where they always did their best thinking and talking, and reflected on the situation in Lesvos. Refugees were only just beginning to arrive at this point, and no one had any idea that in the months and years to come, thousands would be arriving every day (in the climax of the crisis, some days the island received over 10,000 refugees). They remained at the beach after night fell, and soon, they heard voices coming from the water. After several minutes, a raft came into view - and this was their entry point to the crisis. After helping the cold, scared, and wet refugees ashore, they had a surprise for them - blankets, clothes, and 40 home-cooked meals.” After that, they never looked back.