Its been a tough 32 hours for a lot of individuals and families in Christchurch, New Zealand after the mass Mosque terrorist shootings on a grey Friday afternoon. Our hearts and thoughts go out to those who lost their lives and the families and friends left behind.

Being just 4 km away from the Mosques whilst the terror unfolded it became clear that the whole of the City was going into lock-down and the man-hunt had begun. The sound of helicopters circling overhead while we bundled our babies into the car and catching glimpses of others desperately trying to get to safety was honestly very surreal. Businesses and schools were on lock-down and you could see the disbelief on everyone’s faces. “This is New Zealand – things like this just don’t happen here” was a phrase used over and over by many.

Being a born and bred Londoner – the stories of violence and the sound of sirens was part of your everyday commute or news feed and you became accustomed to it. As sad and as awful as the crime may be – they often went unnoticed as the hustle and bustle of the capital engulfed you.

In New Zealand things are very different as bad stuff like this rarely happens. Having only been here a few months we have quickly adopted the same friendly, helpful and honest Kiwi attitude that people have shown us – its infectious! Although a busy city, Christchurch has a very strong community who have stood together through the devastating earthquakes and still work hard to rebuild the beloved city they lost years ago.

24 hours after the shootings took place and the city was moving but road closures were starting to make travelling through town difficult. But nevertheless businesses were open and people were still going about their day with hundreds leaving flowers in memory of those lost just a day before – even with the very real threat of gunmen still on the loose.

I think what the terrorists hadn’t considered was the strength of the Kiwi people and their mentality – to stand strong together and to help each other is practically born into every Kiwi I have ever met. Yes the terrorists chose New Zealand because they wanted to show that “nowhere is safe” but I have seen and heard that people will stand together against these acts of violence and they will fight back with us included.

The NZ government is quick to recognize things need to change and everyone is confident they will and I can promise that the people of Christchurch will be stronger and no less inviting to all nationalities and religions after this tough ordeal.

There is already an amazing amount of support being shared and if you would like to contribute too then there is a givealittle page setup to help the victims, link below:

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/christchurch-shooting-victims-fund