How you helped refugees in 2022!
This year it’s hard to believe how much good has been done for refugees by our volunteers and supporters in the UK and in northern France. Together we’ve supported more than 15,000 refugees in 200 hotels in the UK, and many more that that who have passed through Calais throughout the year. We’ve clothed and fed people. We have taught English, gone on theatre trips, played games, and simply drunk tea and chatted and listened. We’ve touched lives and helped to restore human dignity. We’ve helped families in times of crisis, we’ve supported refugees go to school and graduate …
Amanda’s story
This is Amanda, an asylum seeker from Uganda living in the UK. She made history as the first transgender person from Uganda to represent her country in an international beauty pageant called Miss Trans Global. When news of that went viral, her safety at home was compromised and she sought asylum here. Despite this, she has just graduated from Bath University with a Masters Degree in International Development, Social Justice and Sustainability. She has been supported by a Care4Calais volunteer called Helen, who has helped her with another course application, clothing, and sourced a guitar for her while she …
The Channel, Dover, Manston: one refugee’s story
Today on a distribution, I met Jon, a refugee that I recognised. I was overjoyed to see him, because he’d been through something unbelievably frightening after he arrived in the UK. When I asked him how he was, he said “I am OK – now. After everything, you know.” That said everything. I only met Jon for a few minutes one October morning on a beach on the South Coast. Another volunteer and I were greeting some refugees as they arrived after a terrifying journey across the Channel. It’s something I do often, but this day would be different. Mostly …
Alice’s story
My family lives a few doors down from a lady called Alice who, since we moved in three years ago, has appeared a bit stand-offish. She seems quite well-to-do and let’s just say I thought she might not be well-disposed to refugees. For that reason, when my 12-year-old daughter Eva said she’d like to ask our neighbours if they had any coats they’d donate to Care4Calais, I said of course, but just be careful with Alice. If she says no, maybe don’t push the point. Eva is quite passionate on the subject, and I didn’t her, or indeed Alice, …
Meet Seema, superhero volunteer!
“I don’t think about problems any more, I think about telling people about the challenge so they can come forward to help. They always will, because people are brilliant, and they want to help others! “That’s what I’ve learned volunteering with Care4Calais – every single time there’s been a crisis, people have been amazingly kind, and that kindness has spread. So I don’t just have faith in the good side of human nature – I am absolutely astounded by its power!” This amazing, inspirational and incredibly energetic woman is Seema, our lead volunteer in South West London. As well as …
Meet Elizabeth, a hero changing refugee lives with tech
This is Elizabeth, a really wonderful person who has literally changed the lives of some refugees in the North East. She helps many of the refugees we support here get access to computers, which can make a huge difference to them. We always want to help when people ask us for tablets, laptops and computers, and one of our volunteers, Sarah, noticed that Elizabeth had donated some to Care4Calais. Sarah got in touch, and now we have a great relationship with a rather remarkable woman. Elizabeth runs a computer repair and assistance service, and is often asked by customers if …
In Calais, refugees help volunteers too
We were out distributing snug packs in Calais today, and with the weather getting chillier people were really happy to get these warm gloves, hats and scarves. Quite a few pulled them on straight away, and were asking what we thought of the colours. One guy with a football scarf was asking “What is Bradford City?” laughing and pretending he had to know before he could wear the scarf. Luckily we had some football fans who could put him straight, and he seemed happy! Despite the chill there was a wonderful atmosphere, with music playing and stories being told, and …
Abdallah’s Story
Abdullah grew up in a village in West Darfur, surrounded by the horrors of war. Life was incredibly difficult for him and his whole community, and at the time they relied on the help given to them by aid organisations. As a kid, Abdullah would look at the people helping and admire them. “Starting then, when I was very young,” he says, “I wanted to work for an organisation like that when I grew up.” However, one day when he was in his late teens, Abdullah was on his father’s farm in West Darfur when the Janjaweed militia …
English Channel Tragedy: What Really Happened?
It wasn’t an accident or a mistake. Accidents and mistakes happen in minutes. Seconds even. It wasn’t an error of judgement, or a panic reaction either. It was a sustained period of consciously and deliberately ignoring desperate calls for help. A 12-hour period, beginning when the authorities were first notified of a boat in distress, and ending when rescue finally arrived. Twelve hours during which 32 lives were lost. Twelve hours of people ever so slowly freezing to death, giving up and letting go of the remains of a boat, and then slowly slipping under icy cold water. One by …
Meet Ryan, an award-winning young refugee and volunteer!
This is Ryan, a 15-year-old refugee, who has just received an achievement award for his exceptional contribution to the community. Ryan has lived in a hotel near Stansted Airport with his mum, dad and two brothers for over a year as they wait for their asylum claims to be processed. In East Herts there is a project set up by Hertfordshire County Council Services for Young People that the Stansted Care4Calais have been involved with. It has weekly two-hour sessions for refugees children aged 11-17 to learn life skill and do things outside their hotels. From the beginning, Ryan saw …