A day of sun, sports and smiles in Calais

Yesterday during our distribution in Calais we gave each person a choice between a power bank or a tent. I was surprised that quite a few people were picking power banks given how important shelter is and how often tents get confiscated by police, so I asked my friend why he had chosen it. He smiled and told me: “Keeping contact with my family is the most important thing.”

By the end of the afternoon we had given out tents to provide shelter and warmth for more than 60 people, and enough power banks to help 150 refugees stay in touch with their loved ones back home. When your family live in areas of conflict and you’re sleeping rough in Calais, both sides are always desperate to make sure that the other is safe. A phone becomes a lifeline.

It was a lovely distribution with a great mood throughout – not only because we were able to give people a choice between two valuable items that they often request, but because the sun was finally shining.

After weeks of heavy rain we decided to take full advantage of the good weather by setting up a volleyball net so that we could all play together. It was a resounding success – turns out they can consistently beat us at way more than just football!

To support our work go to care4calais.org/donate