Calais: Hundreds brave the queue for a winter coat

If you stand in a line this long in the rain you must really need a coat. And this was the queue for coats at our distribution in Dunkirk.

It was cold and miserable, with the only relief being the cheap plastic ponchos we were thankfully able to give out to people patiently waiting.

Our volunteers were brilliant: smiling cheerfully at each and every person and finding a coat the right size and type for everyone, despite the rain running down our sleeves and the back of our necks. But really what is that to complain about when you see someone standing patiently in just a jumper or a light denim jacket in the wind and rain?

This was the line in Dunkirk but we need to find coats for four more sites in Calais, and for Caen and Paris, and for people who have arrived in the UK too, totally unprepared for a British winter.

This year we are desperate to make sure that everyone has a proper coat to last them through the winter. If you have a coat that you no longer wear, donate it at your nearest drop-off point: care4calais.org/thedropoffmap

Or help us buy a new coat for £20 by contributing at care4calais.org/donate

For more information go to care4calais.org/coats4calais