An ominous grey cloud landed on the UK today, leaving in its wake despair and devastation. The heart-breaking news of what happened in Manchester yesterday evening came as such shock to us all, wishing that it might not be true. It actually took me a couple of hours to really register and reflect on what had happened. So, naturally I turned to the only way I really know how to process and express my feelings.

To feel afraid in your home city or country is an unsettling thought. The place we might have grown up or called home, now held hostage by an attack that took the lives of the most vulnerable and innocent in our society. An attack by people who cannot comprehend, nor understand the infinite boundaries of the human soul and spirit, which in the most desperate of times the Mancunian people demonstrated that they have that spirit in abundance. They opened their homes and offered their help on the night of one of the worst acts of terror Manchester has seen. They showed that despite these attacks, kindness will still prevail. And it must.

Those who conduct these attacks aim to break up our society, they seek to rip us apart through sowing seeds of fear into our minds and divide us. What we all have to remember now is that they will not succeed by throwing violence and hatred at us, because we will always respond with compassion. Compassion for those who are suffering and for those who are vulnerable. We must act with love to everyone around us, understand that it is people with a warped view of the world, acting in a selfless way that is not true to the values they claim to be guiding them.

It is almost a year since the day Labour MP and humanitarian activist Jo Cox was murdered and I feel it is quite fitting to be reminded of part of her maiden speech in parliament.

                ‘We are far more united and have more in common than things that divide us’

I really think this is so important to remember as we move forward from this day. It takes courage to overcome our fears, to trust in people and to show solidarity, but it was shown last night and I hope it will continue to be shown in the future. When we act with love and courage, we can stand up to the adversity that we see before us and this, now more than ever, is how we must respond to last nights attack.