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How MSF makes a difference: John Tiner in conversation with Dr Chris Hook

On Friday 7 November, colleagues across Ardonagh's businesses and locations around the world unite for the Group's annual charity event, Give Back. Always a day of community action and high spirits, at the heart of each and every of our nine Give Backs to date is making a difference.

This year, we're once again rallying behind our global charity partner, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), with the goal that Give Back takes us to our £250,000 total fundraising target (with just over £169,000 raised through the partnership to date).

Ahead of Give Back, we explore just why MSF matters and how their operations around the world are making a difference day in and day out to communities in need.

Behind the scenes at MSF's global operations

In September, Ardonagh and ACT Chairman, John Tiner, visited the MSF operational centre in Brussels to gain an insight into MSF's humanitarian work.

The MSF Operational Centre Brussels (OCB) is one of MSF's six independent operational centres around the world and is responsible for managing and supporting medical humanitarian operations in more than 35 countries. It also oversees a supply chain in Brussels that handles logistics, medical equipment, and medicines for its missions and includes an MSF Analysis department for humanitarian reflection and debate.

Stepping off the Eurostar and into the world of humanitarian aid, the contrast of living in a society with healthcare infrastructure and one without was stark. From the vast storage of health resources, food sachets, medical equipment, to the busy logistical teams ensuring doctors can leave— sometimes at a moment’s notice— to reach communities in crisis anytime and anywhere. It revealed an even stronger need for organisations like MSF, and their thousands of volunteers, medics and staff, and reinforced the power of ACT's partnership.
John Tiner, The Ardonagh Group and ACT Chairman

Over the day, John was given a first-hand insight into the incredible work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure that MSF staff, equipment and resources are ready to depart to wherever they are needed, whether that's to lead long-term medical projects or in response to crisis due to conflict, climate disasters or epidemics. 

Visiting the MSF Operations Centre in Brussels, one of six hubs for logistics around the world.
The centre operates around the year to ensure MSF programmes and staff have everything they need to save lives.

In conversation with MSF emergency doctor, Dr Chris Hook

As well as the tour of the centre and speaking to various logistics teams who ensure this major centre running effectively, guests were privileged to hear from Dr Chris Hook. 

Dr Chris is an emergency medicine physician and Deputy Head of the Emergency Pool at MSF's Operational Centre in Brussels. With extensive experience working in emergency medicine in Bristol, pre-hospital emergency medicine with the air ambulance service in Cambridgeshire and a paediatric intensive care doctor, his knowledge and passion for humanitarian medicine is immense. 

Most recently, Dr Chris has been a medical team leader as part of MSF's Gaza response efforts, and he has also worked in Bangladesh, Nigeria, Yemen and Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, South Gaza, which MSF is supporting and where Dr Chris has worked, operates amidst the destruction in the region.

Having made such an impression on John during the Brussels trip, we were delighted that Dr Chris was able to share some of his time to speak with John again to further discuss his involvement in MSF and what motivates him to continue to give his care and expertise to communities experiencing health crises no matter where and no matter what.

You can read more about Dr Chris's involvement as part of MSF's Gaza response by reading his account on the MSF website.

Please note, this includes content relating to trauma which could be upsetting. 

Can we reach our £250,000 goal this Give Back?

Since we started our global partnership with MSF in 2024, we've raised an amazing £169,000. Through Give Back, we aim to take this total to £250,000 this Give Back, meaning we have just over £80,000 remaining to raise.

Translating money into impact shows just show much difference this total could make. Here's just an idea of what each pound can do to support communities affected by health crises.

In the meantime, learn more about our partnership with MSF on the dedicated partnerships page of our website.