At the end of October, a group of 5 of us (me – Mel, Rupert, James, Hannah and Isaac), are getting together to cycle from Bangkok to Phuket via the east coast of Thailand, a distance of just under 1000km. We are cycling on regular bikes (not E-bikes!), and we will be cycling between 60-130km per day over 11 days. As a group we are fairly fit but this is definitely going to be a challenge for us, and we have decided to take this opportunity to fundraise. And we are delighted to be able to share with you that ALL of the funds raised (except for the gofundme transaction fees) will be going directly to the people who need it most which is so often definitely not the case... please read on for information about the the worthy charity we are working with.

As everyone knows, Migration is one of the biggest and fastest growing humanitarian issues of the 21st century. And it is only set to gain importance in the months and years ahead.

Over the last five years Azur Aide has participated among a network of groups bringing hot meals, clothes and other essential humanitarian items to refugees on the French-Italian border. During that time, we have assisted many thousands of people. Now we need a little help from you to sustain our work.

Ventimiglia has been a refugee and migration choke point for years, effectively closed to those trying to move on from Italy, where they have arrived from countries near and far. They flee war, persecution, famine, desertification and many other conditions that make life impossible. In Ventimiglia, they sleep rough by the river in all seasons, hot and cold, wet and dry.

As part of a network of aid groups, Azur Aide distributes an evening meal to hundreds of hungry people once every two weeks. This requires significant logistics and resources, which have mostly been provided by a small group of generous volunteers, but to keep going and to meet high demand for aid at the border, we now need some financial support.

We are asking for your generous assistance to raise €2,000 which, we hope will keep us active for the next 2 months – again, I would like to reiterate that all of the funds will go directly to the people in need. One meal costs approximately €2.00. We also provide hygiene bags for female migrants, and warm socks, clothes and other urgent items when needed to help with winter conditions.

No donation is too small or too big, and every cent goes directly to those who need it. None of those involved in Azur Aide draw funding from donors. We freely give our time and our own resources, from petrol to clothes and food, to this growing humanitarian problem, which we care so much about.

A huge thank you so much for taking the time to read and for giving generously to this cause. Warmest wishes, Mel, Rupert, James, Hannah & Isaac