CRAG makes new donations
Charlbury Refugee Action Group has just responded to more urgent requests for funds and aid. Thank you all so much for your help.
(1) The Hope (Elpis) Centre is a safe and warm space offering emergency accommodation, food, medical aid and free onward transit to refugees landing on rocky beaches near Eftalou on the north coast of Lesvos. Eric and Philippa Kempson and friends are working hard to get the centre up and running, converting a derelict hotel for the purpose. We have contributed £400. For more information or to make a further donation yourself, please click on these links.
https://www.facebook.com/HopeCentreElpis/
mydonate.bt.com/events/corefunding/275290
If you donate, please make sure that you specify that your donation is to go towards the Elpis Project.
You can see a video in which Eric shows you round the building they are converting, by clicking here.
(2) Building weatherproof shelters in the Calais camp instead of the more vulnerable and cold tents thousand live in. Details are here: mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/shelter-building-calais, and again you can contribute additionally yourself if you wish. The project is organised by L'Auberge des Migrants and Help Refugees, and CRAG has so far contributed £200 towards their daunting target of £60k.
Your donations in kind
We have been working with Hooky Refugee Action and Witney Refugee Action to channel clothing, sleeping bags, tents and food to the camps at Dunkirk and Calais, and to help fill a container of food and clothing being shipped to Lesvos. Thanks so much to everyone who has contributed to the collections.
Looking ahead
We are looking for your help with a number of projects that people have suggested. If you can take on any of these, or help with the organisation, please contact us at charlburyrefugee@gmail.com or phone 01608 811378.
We need people who will
liaise with the five churches in Charlbury, the WI, youth groups, musicians, sports clubs etc to encourage refugee support.
take on specific projects. Recent suggestions have included a quiz night, a pop-up Syrian feast with music, a jumble sale, a concert, a ceilidh… all great ideas, all will raise money and awareness, and all will be good fun to arrange and to take part in.
talk to the school and develop projects with children.
take clothing and other items to collection points in, for instance, Oxford, Stroud, Slough or Portsmouth.
drive to Calais to deliver supplies to the distribution centre there, and help there.
plan projects with, and learn from, other refugee aid groups in the county and nearby: Witney, Hook Norton, Oxford, Faringdon, Malvern, Ledbury and elsewhere are all possibles.
work locally with Syrian refugees being housed in Witney, Carterton and Chipping Norton under the government scheme.
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You can also keep up to date with us at
www.facebook.com/charlburyrefugee
Jon Carpenter · Sat 23 Jan 2016, 11:52 · Link