BANTHAM resident Josh Turner-Hunt started his EKO Kitchen project to feed refugees and a recent fundraiser raised £15,000.

Josh Turner-Hunt, 21, worked as the pizza chef at the Crabshell Inn in Kingsbridge to raise enough money to covert his red Sprinter van into a camper for him and his friends to use on a surfing trip around Europe and down to Morocco.

When the winter came around, his friends went back to Australia and the UK and Josh, who worked at Bantham Surfing Academy and is a qualified lifeguard, heard about the refugee crisis and the need for lifeguards to help, as refugees arrived in flimsy boats to the island of Lesbos in Greece.

He decided he needed to help, so he travelled to Lesbos to help pull people from the sea and on to the safety of dry land.

After being in Lesbos and witnessing the crisis first hand, Josh realised that what was really needed was good food and hot drinks, so he went back to Spain, picked up his van and converted it from a camper to a mobile kitchen with burners and pots.

Josh travelled back to Idomeni, a refugee camp near the Greek border with Macedonia, and started serving food and drink as the Big Red Van Project. From there, he linked up with other volunteers and together they created the EKO Kitchen, working with Syrian cooks and other volunteers to feed 1,500 people a day, 500 of which are children, in the camp.

Josh’s father, Tim Hunt, went out to see his son in the camp and witnessed the work he was doing there. ‘Most of the refugees there are from Aleppo, which used to be a beautiful city and is now bombed to hell and is a nightmare.’, said Tim. ‘Josh is working with a Syrian chef called Houssam who, with his wife Fatima, owned a restaurant in Aleppo before it was bombed and he has ended up in a refugee camp.

‘Now he is the main chef at the EKO Kitchen, creating nutritious food every day. Food is provided by the UN in the camps but it is often just white bread and cheese and isn’t suitable - just carbs and sugar. Josh and Houssam are creating Syrian food, curries, rice, lentils, beans, vegetables - which is what these people are used to and what they need.’

Josh worked in Idomeni for four months and served 1,500 people a day. £1 can pay for three meals, and donations from the local farmers helps to support him.

‘The integration and collaboration between the Syrian refugees, the local Greek people and the volunteers is amazing’, continued Tim, ‘We visited for two weeks and I was inspired by the generosity and friendliness, despite the horrendous conditions.

‘The camp is made up of aircraft hangers with tents inside, with one family to a tent. The heat was intense and the hygiene systems are basic. There is nothing for the children. They are just waiting for their applications to be processed to allow them to move on.

‘Speaking to them, all of them want to go home, none of them want to be a burden. They had good lives in Syria before the war and they had to leave, and now all the borders are closed they can’t leave Greece.

‘We [the UK] are one of the main arms dealers and beside the USA and Russia, we helped destroy the community and forced people to leave, and now they are waiting for Europe to decide what to do.’

EKO Kitchen was named when the group of volunteers were sitting and discussing what to name the project spotted ‘EKO’ lit up at the side of the road - its actually the name of a chain of garages in Greece.

Tim, who helped to organise a fundraising event with dinner, music and an auction on Friday, September 9, said: ‘This project is really showing the strength of community here in the South Hams and Bantham, with Leah Stevenson from Totnes helping run the project with Josh.

The event, which took place on Friday at Hatch Barns, Churchstow, was compered by Agata Krajewski, a comedian, and live music was be provided by The Mannequins, The Skeiks, DJ Bulb and Sponge and DJ Fatboy Candellero and Northern Folk. The auction was be conducted by Andrew Brown.

Juliet Bill, The Old Bakery, has been supporting refugees in Greece and Calais for the last few years and said: ‘EKO Kitchen are cooking in sweltering heat, arid wind, incessant rain, snow, ice and now full circle to sweltering heat again. The freshest of food; culturally appropriate and professionally prepared.

‘Served with calm, respectful, considered kindness and sensitivity. Day after day after day. Providing essential protein and nutrition. I fully endorse this initiative and knowing these guys personally it will be a fabulously fun event. Please support. It runs entirely on donations.’

The event raised £15,000, meaning EKO Kitchen will be able to provide between around 45,000 meals to refugees.

Tim said: ‘A huge thank to all, our total raised ,including donations, was nearly an incredible £15,000.

‘A result of the inspirational work of the Eko kitchen team in Greece, the event was a fabulous coming together of this great community in the South Hams.’

Tim thanked Mark Arnold for the Hatch Court venue, Richard Ling for the parking and Howard, Zac and Perry for their parking arrangement skills.

The delicious curry was provided by Diana Cooper, the Spicy Dahl by Gill Stone and more curry from Delhi Spice and Alex and Sally. Poppadoms and chutneys were donated by the Maha-Bharat in Kingsbridge. Raita, a side dish, was made by Milla Kitchens, and cake by Rosa, Nitza, Jack and Chamilla. Chai from Helen and the washing up team.

He also thanked the serving hatch girls, Gill, Nitza and Rosa and the Galley Girls from Cater Hire in Churchstow. The bar was provided by Jonty, with help from Will, the Sloop Inn, Rod and Kelly, Emma, Porshe and Howard.

The music came from Adam and Carrie, Northern folk, followed later by The Sheiks and Paddy and Ben in the DJ parlour. Thanks went to Anata for compering and bringing the reality of this story with Eko kitchen and the refugee crisis.

The Auction raised over £7,000. Thanks to Andrew Brown for auctioneering, and donators included the Lenkiewicz foundation, artists Swannie, Jane NcCartney, Steve Baddeley, Dave Anslow, Red Propellor Gallery and Mosaic Michelle.

Three surfing donations were donated by Dave Renaud and Bantham Surfing Academy, evenings from the Sloop Inn, the Old Bakery, Paddies Pizza and the Bantham Estates.

Adam, a recording engineer, donated a day in the studio, Ben Howard donated a guitar lesson, The Thurlestone Hotel and Mullion Cove hotel, Soar Mill Cove Hotel and Sunset Lodge donated stays.

The huge raffle prize by Claire and enthusiastic ticket selling by Sally, Alex and Claire raised over £600.

Tim also thanked the Clarks and the Jac Trust for their generous donations, Nick Walker Printing for the leaflets and tickets and flowers by Penny.

Tim concluded: ‘Thanks to all for coming and being so enthusiastic and generous, The Eko Kitchen team and refugees really appreciate this and with the amount raised they can proved around 45,000 meals - keeping them in business for the next two months.