HELP US HELP REFUGEES IN
CALAIS AND THE UK
Weekend convoys to calais
Calais Light first travelled to Calais in 2015 and we keep going back. We travel 5 times a year with convoys of volunteers. We do this to help grassroots charities based in Calais like Care4Calais & Refugee Community Kitchen supporting them in their work with the refugee population in and around Calais.
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Light? We are process-light; we make it quicker & less hassle to volunteer, as we do just about everything for you bar pack your bag. Our short convoys, (Dep. Friday 10am/ Back Sunday 9pm), make volunteering compatible with work. We expose people who might usually say ‘no’ to volunteering in Calais to the shocking & inhumane conditions refugees contend with every day.
We believe the convoy experience transforms our volunteers into people who understand & respect refugees. Calais Lighters return time after time, but we are always looking for new people, especially experienced Continental drivers.
UK Volunteer network - new!
There are many reasons that people become refugees – they flee persecution, wars, armed conflicts, human rights abuse, forced conscription, climate change and famine.
Seeking refuge in the country of your choice is not illegal. It’s a human right. With 103 million displaced people in the world - some wish to live in the UK. Global unrest has increased the numbers seeking refuge here. Sadly, there are not enough volunteers in the UK, to help refugees with their “second journey” – establishing new lives successfully in this country.
Calais Light believes we can best help refugees in the UK by promoting social inclusion - essential to adjust to a new life here. A sense of belonging & feeling accepted is crucial for any human to thrive - and we are ALL human.
In Feb 2023 we launched our 1st Befriender Hub in Essex. We have 3 teams of Befriending Volunteers teaching English 3 times a week to refugees & asylum seekers in UK Bridging Hotels & practising English conversation & reading with them. We know that learning to speak & read English is the KEY to social integration & social inclusion in British society. Without it - refugees from many different countries, struggle to make a life here, because they can't communicate: with their doctors, at the shops or even with each other. They remain isolated. We work with larger UK based refugee charities, boosting their operating manpower & lending a helping hand to make refugees’ lives bearable & better.
Calais Light seeks more UK volunteers to help support this new refugee population. If you live in Kent, Essex and London, JOIN US
#CourtCommerce
#CourtCommerce is an integral part of Calais Light.
It’s a Brand Collaboration initiative which
changes the narrative around refugees who have so little.
We wish to give of our best to them!
#CourtCommerce does this by forging partnerships with world-class brands.
In 2 years we have raised over £460,000 of brand new, stylish clothes & items delivered directly to refugees from brands like Puma, Unilever, Boohoo, GAP & Vans,
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Refugees arrive with little more than what they stand up in. They are often offered second-hand, mismatched clothes & they don’t have clothes to match changing seasons.
We change that!
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#Courtcommerce sources new, valuable and essential items to gift to refugees from huge clothing brands and with a bit of help from us, the refugees we work with can choose stylish, brand-new, correctly-sized, age-appropriate clothing and other products. We want refugees to feel great in their clothes & be able to blend into society. How can you blend in when you always wear mismatched cast offs? New clothes improve mental wellbeing and help refugees to feel welcome, valued & more able to survive the difficult circumstances they often find themselves in.
the charities we support
Care4Calais is a volunteer-run refugee charity working with refugees in the UK, France and Belgium
Refugee Community Kitchen serves hot, nourishing meals to displaced people in the UK and France.
Calais Appeal is a group of humanitarian aid organisations in Calais who have shared resources and expertise, collaborating to provide food, firewood, clothing, information.
