As a response to the humanitarian crisis in Calais, Choose Love began as a hashtag in August 2015: Josie Naughton was the brains behind it. She used her social media experience and music industry career to coordinate an aid collection and distribution project. Since then, Help Refugees has funded over 120 projects across Europe, the Middle East and the US and developed its sister organisation, Choose Love.The charity takes a fieldwork-first approach to aid, establishing local networks and working with local partners to deliver projects. It has reached over one million people – all powered by the hard work, dedication and love of over 35,000 volunteers. The organisation partnered with Alf Dubs to successfully campaign for the Dubs Amendment offering unaccompanied children sanctuary in the UK. Naughton was named one of the Bill and Melinda Gates ‘Global Goalkeepers’ in 2017 and one of the Evening Standard’s Progress 1000 “changemakers” in 2018.
