CEO Charlie MacGregor diverts to earthquake disaster zone in Turkey/Syria from MIPIM conference in Cannes

MacGregor asks real estate community for support to raise one million euros in next two weeks for disaster relief.

Amsterdam, 15 March 2023 1pm – Instead of travelling to Cannes to attend the world's leading real estate conference MIPIM event this week, Charlie MacGregor, CEO The Social Hub and co-founder of NGO Movement On The Ground is in the earthquake disaster zone at the Syrian and Turkish border. The mission is to bring immediate shelter, camps, medical and other supplies to the area. Today MacGregor is pledging €100,000 to kick start his fundraising campaign and is asking his peers in the real estate industry to do the same. If the target of €1m euros is raised, Movement On The Ground can fund and facilitate local and other partners to build a 'HOSPITAINER' pop-up hospital within two weeks of reaching their target.

Developing real estate is part of The Social Hub's business model, but this year the CEO and co-founder of NGO Movement On The Ground Charlie MacGregor said he would not attend the annual real estate event MIPIM (the world's leading real estate conference), as the victims of the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey were more in need of his time and energy. One month after the powerful earthquakes devasted parts of Syria and Turkey, around 214,000 buildings have been destroyed or damaged, while hundreds of thousands of people still need adequate shelter, sanitation, urgent medical care, temporary housing and equipment.

Follow the progress of active donations via Charlie's Linked In

MacGregor said: “Millions of people are displaced and over 50,000 have died. These numbers are completely heartbreaking, and for people with the means to help, they should be galvanizing. I had the choice to join this mission or attend MIPIM, and strongly felt I could do more here. Working in real estate, we build our portfolios brick by brick. So here is my pledge, and my call out to my real estate industry peers. If we can help facilitate and donate, then we should.”

Stronger as an industry

Movement On The Ground is using this fundraiser to buy shelter and bring immediately needed supplies to the area. If the funding target of €1million is raised or exceeded, within two weeks the team will be able to facilitate the build of a pop-up hospital 'Hospitainer' with partners. Individual donations can be made directly to Movement On The Ground via this link - https://movementontheground.com/donation

Sizable donations towards the goal of €1million can send an e-mail with their pledge to donate to info@movementontheground.com

“Our focus is on supporting local systems and organizations on the ground at impacted areas, working hard to fund and facilitate supplies and emergency shelters which are sustainable, durable, human-centered and community-led. We feel obliged to take our experience and best practices for dignified shelter and reception from Greece and the Netherlands to stand by the affected communities and are extremely grateful for this help from the real estate industry that will now support our first mission, as part of a long-term engagement in this area,” Adil Izemrane, co-founder and CEO of Movement On The Ground.

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About Movement On The Ground

Humanitarian NGO Movement On The Ground is on a mission to transform refugee reception centres across the globe. They create safer, healing and more dignified environments using their Camp to CampUs philosophy. With an inclusive and holistic approach, MOTG is able to unlock the potential of the people who have been forced to flee, resulting in a sustainable solution that benefits hosting and hosted communities. www.movementontheground.com 

About Charlie  

Charlie MacGregor founded The Social Hub in his early-20s, guiding the company to explore new territories and leading the way in the evolution of community-based hospitality -- a concept he conceived. A born entrepreneur, Charlie founded The Social Hub in 2003 and still leads the team today. His love of community and belief that ‘people deserve better’ began it all, and continues to be key to The Social Hub’s winning hybrid hospitality concept. With an instinctive drive, he has grown The Social Hub to more than a dozen European locations and raised more than €3 billion from investors since inception. Today, Charlie is a leading voice on the future of hospitality for industry publications and events around the world. His focus? To build one team, one community and one global brand. Beyond The Social Hub, Charlie focuses on improving refugee camps through the humanitarian crisis NGO he co-founded in 2015, Movement On The Ground. With several active projects in Greece and Holland as well as providing emergency help and shelter, its mission is to transform camps into campuses, offering refugees better opportunities and a better life.