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Urgent appeal from Calais and Dunkirk refugee camps


Ben and Marie-Claude Beno from Seeking Sanctuary, with a consignment of goods at Secour Catholique

Ben and Marie-Claude Beno from Seeking Sanctuary, with a consignment of goods at Secour Catholique

Seeking Sanctuary, the Kent-based charity which is supporting refugees in the camps in northern France has sent us this message.

A volunteer writes: We are critically low on many many items, the flow of donations has ceased, and by Friday we will have no shoes, no t-shirts, no jumpers. We shortly will have no new clothes for new arrivals to provide them with warmth, a basic human right. That said, we have an abundance of other items, and for that reason, we cannot currently take items that are not on this list.

If you collect goods on this list - and sort, pack and label them correctly - you can make an appointment to take them to one of the Calais warehouses. If you can't get to Calais we'll be pleased to help you to find a handy drop-off point near your location - or, if other options fail, you can arrange for them to come to an address in Deal.

Note that it's often easier to concentrate upon collecting just one class of wanted goods!

MEN'S CLOTHES
T-Shirts S/M
Jumpers S/M
Boxer Shorts (Not Y-Fronts)
Trainers 41-44
Hoodies S/M
Long Sleeved Tops S/M
Trackies S/M/L

WOMEN'S CLOTHES
Leggings S/M/L
Trackie Bottoms S/M/L
Knickers S/M (NEW ONLY)
Shoes up to 41 (NO HEELS)
Bras (SMALLER SIZES, UP TO C)

BOY'S/YOUTH'S CLOTHES
Trackie Bottoms 12-17 yrs
Jeans 12-17 yrs
Underwear 12-17 yrs
Hoodies S/M
Trainers up to 41

HYGIENE
Baby Wipes
Toilet Roll
Razors M/F
Deodorant M/F
Shower Gel
Shampoo
Conditioner
Nappies 4/5/6
Baby Formula 2/3
Tissues

MISCELLANEOUS but VERY IMPORTANT

Thick Blankets
Sleeping Bags
Fire Extinguishers
Lights/Torches
Metal Camping Kettles
Washing Up Liquid
Sponges
Mugs & Cups
Chopping Boards
Water Carriers
Bags for Life
Tin Openers
Big Plastic Boxes

All deliveries must get to a warehouse in Calais, such as the one at L'Auberge des Migrants - book in your delivery slot there with calaisdonations@gmail.com or work with the Care4Calais warehouse.

Please be effective and organised with your donations and divide them into specific items and sizes. If something's not good enough quality for you to wear, it's not good enough for anyone in the camps either!

It is important that people ordering or collecting and delivering goods do check on the latest lists produced by the Calais warehouses at www.care4calais.org and www.calaidipedia.co.uk/current-needs - and also take a good look at how you can volunteer to go to Calais for a time to help these groups in their essential work. If you can spare a few days, volunteers are urgently needed in Calais!


DONATING MONEY

A useful way to donate money for buying food at wholesale prices in Calais for the camp kitchen - and claim Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer - is via the web page https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/calaiskitchens


Monetary donations for other (non-food) purposes can be sent via Help Refugees to be eligible for Gift Aid. You can use the web page https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/helprefugees and state that you want the aid to go to Northern France in the "personalised message" space. The organisation supplies aid to various regions, and in Calais it supports L'Auberge des Migrants.

Additionally, the UK charity CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) supports Secours Catholique in Calais, if you add a comment "for Calais" when making an on-line payment at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?charityId=1005810


About 'Seeking Sanctuary'.
There are currently still over 5000 migrants in and around Calais (March 2016) and many more near Dunkirk . 'Seeking Sanctuary' aims to raise awareness about this situation and is organising basic humanitarian assistance through Faith Communities and Community Organisations in partnership with experienced aid agencies.

For further information on how you or your organisation can help, contact Ben Bano on 07887 651117 or Phil Kerton on 01474 873802. To check the latest news, visit their website on www.seekingsanctuary.weebly.com.

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