Mark Dunk and Andy Brown report from the latest convoy to Calais with Care4Calais
Andy
That weekend we had almost 100 volunteers from Stand Up To Racism groups working in Calais. This meant we were able to do distributions at every refugee settlement in Calais, plus the large site at Dunkerque. Another team visited the hostel for unaccompanied minors in St Omer.
On Saturday we distributed over a thousand packs of hats, gloves, scarves, socks, boxers and deodorant across all the sites, plus a food pack for everyone. On Sunday we followed this up with longer distributions to the two biggest sites, giving out trousers, coats, sleeping bags and backpacks. Volunteer teams will the following week were set to continue to deliver these on the rest of the sites and also do a large distribution to refugees in Brussels, which we visit once a week.
Delegations came from Leeds, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Enfield, Haringey, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, South London and South East London, plus individuals from other groups.
A large meeting finished the day on Saturday with refugees and volunteers speaking, including Labour MP for Enfield Southgate, Bambos Charalambous.
Mark
Our car bringing volunteers and donations from Stand Up to Racism South East London arrived in the afternoon having set off later than others on Saturday to allow for disabled people to participate in the solidarity delegation.
Despite a delayed ferry crossing we made it to the Care4Calais warehouse just in time. On arrival we were drafted into a group preparing to deliver packs of fresh clothing and underwear to a group of refugees.
After a quick briefing we drove in convoy to a site just off a main road out of Calais where the packs were distributed to a group of around a dozen Afghan refugees.
Soon after a cricket bat and some tennis balls emerged from the back of the van which had brought the supplies.
A game quickly broke out on the side of the road. Volunteers in a mix of Care4Calais vests and yellow hi-vis were welcomed into the game alongside the refugees. Men and women, one in hijab, took turns to bowl, bat and field.
Though unable to share more than basic conversation we were united by the universal language of the sport. Nods and glances, an outstretched arm inviting a ball to be tossed; laughter and applause for a good hit, catch or delivery did what words could not.
We shared the load of dashing across the road to rescue the precious tennis balls from the surrounding water hazards, each time waiting with baited breath until the sight of a bright flash of yellow brought a cheer in a game reminiscent of playing in the street as children.
For a few hours those muddied yellow balls brought some respite to the grind of everyday survival for those trapped between the brutality of the French authorities and the refusal of Theresa May’s government to allow them to claim their right to asylum in the UK.
I hope the donations we brought can help sustain the friends we shared this game with and that one day soon their love of cricket can be expressed in the safety of a leafy park in some corner of Britain.
