A large group of supporters for the refugees met at the home of Gareth and Michelle Jones in St. Antonin. We arrived at lunchtime but as we left just before 2 pm supporters were still arriving. Everyone wanted to thank Laura and Sid for their sterling work at Calais. I had a long chat with The couple who both looked extremely tired. Sid had been building for 2 weeks and Laura had been ferrying materials backwards and forwards. Shoes, bedding, whatever was needed. She told Malc and I that they had talked to no one who was not a refugee. The people there that they were helping were all educated doctors and lawyers and the like and they came because they spoke English. That is why they want to go to the UK because with their language skills they could find work. Many did not want to stay in France because of the language problem. Many were disappointed and disheartened after their long trek to find such a hostile reception.
Laura told us conditions are terrible, toilet facilities, clean water, food all lacking. One cannot imagine how bad it is. She also said many of the people were middle class and not used to " roughing it" so she really worried how they would fare.
Now the families are starting to arrive with women and children.
Sid and Laura are planning on going back in November and want to take with them a work force, so if you are handy with a hammer and your partner can use a hammer or be a go between with the storage depots please think about donating a week of your holidays to go and build.
The couple can be contacted on green.havard@gmail.com
We will all keep on collecting goods and money ready for their next trip to help.
Hopefully by then some one in government will have pulled out the stops ... but we are not holding our breath.
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