Introducing Steve Smith MBE, Care4Calais’ CEO
Today we’re proud to introduce Steve Smith MBE as the CEO of Care4Calais. Steve joins us after spending many years doing incredible and much-admired work to help refugees and the victims of armed violence around the world. Having begun his career as a military officer, he has made it his personal mission in life to help people suffering in the ways that he has seen first hand. “Having served in several war zones, I know what it’s like to be shot at, and to see bombs going off nearby. I know what it’s like to be afraid. “But I always …
This wonderful gift brightened our day in Calais
Yesterday we were going through our mail at the Calais warehouse when we noticed a mysterious, lumpy package from the UK. Opening it, we found dozens of EU-plug phone chargers, a power bank and a bag of Euros and cents – and a note explaining where it had come from. It turned out they were from some young refugees – all under 18 and travelling by themselves – who had crossed the Channel. Realising the stuff was unusable in the UK, they had saved it all so they could send it back for refugees in France. Connie, a former C4C …
A game with the kind cricketers of Dunkirk
Today I was watching a highly competitive cricket match between Afghan refugees in Dunkirk. It’s getting quite muddy now so I suppose their matches are going to become more difficult, but today they were doing ok. Some of them are really good players. I got talking to a young Afghan refugee called Ali about the T20 Cricket World Cup, which is is being played in Australia at the moment. He explained they were all following Afghanistan’s progress, “because for us, cricket is like football for you. It is everything to us. “That is why it’s good Care4Calais brings the ball, …
Winter coats urgently needed in Calais
When I tell friends and family that I’ve been volunteering in Calais, they always ask me why? They don’t understand. They think refugees just stroll into Calais, and hop into boats to cross the Channel, so what’s the need? Well, let me tell you about the need. There are about 2,000 refugees in northern France, and many of them wait for weeks, months, even years before they can reach safety in the UK. Where do you think all those people live? They live in underpasses, roundabouts, industrial estates and any land they can find. They are constantly being moved …
For the Love of Bikes
Today I was helping on the cycle repair station at our distribution in Calais when a young Sudanese guy called Abu rode up on a distinctly battered, wonky-looking bike. He must have noticed me looking because he said, “You like it? I bought it today. One thousand Euro!” I must have looked surprised because he burst out laughing. “Tour de France bike! But now I just fix,” he said. Of course he hadn’t paid for the bike at all. As I helped him straighten the spokes, he explained that he had found it as a wreck weeks ago, and …
Wishing luck to one young Afghan refugee
Yesterday I was helping out with English classes at a distribution when I got talking to a young Afghan refugee. He was about 18, the same as me, and we were getting along well when I somehow managed to get a little cut on my finger. The boy, who I’ll call Tariq, suddenly disappeared, only to reappear a few moments later with a sticking plaster. It was such a moving thing to do – he had been through so much, but he could still notice and help with my little problem. I have only been in Calais for a week …
Fantastic news from Calais!
Fantastic news from Calais! A court in northern France has finally ordered the authorities to lift their ban on distributing food to refugees. These bans have been in place for two years and prevented us from giving food to hungry people in all but a few small areas – areas that kept changing, making our operation very difficult. The court heard that although a La Vie Active single French state-endorsed agency, was allowed to distribute food and drink, in reality it did not distribute enough food for refugees to get three meals a day. And that meant they were going …