Phones for Folkestone: can you help?

Folkestone barracks update

You might have read stories about conditions at the Kent barracks where over 400 men are being housed. It’s not ideal, not least because military conditions can bring back bad memories for those traumatised by conflict.

However there is good news too. Napier Friends In Action have galvanised local support to collect mountains of donations and start projects to provide welcome.

Thanks to your generous support we have played our part too. We have sent them a whopping 800 pairs of brand-new underwear and 400 pairs of shower shoes – reacting to complaints from residents about wet floors in communal shower areas. We are so grateful for your help in making this happen.

Last weekend our volunteer Zeenat also drove to Kent to drop off donations of clothes and gift bags full of shower gel, face masks, prayer mats and other goodies. While there she took a few of the residents for a picnic at the park. It was raining the whole time, but they took shelter under a playground and spent a lovely afternoon catching up.

Another fantastic bit of news is that a generous donor has offered matched funding of £5,000 for mobile phones for people housed in the barracks. A phone is the single most important gift you can give to a refugee – it gives them contact with loved ones who may be in danger in conflict zones, the ability to speak to lawyers, and help with online actions like learning English.

To contribute to this important project go to www.goldengiving.com/fundraising/phones4folkestone