Lancashire groups rally round to help support refugees at camps

Plight: Refugees walk from the main station in Dortmund, Germany

Hundreds of people from across Lancashire have been rallying together to offer their support and donations to refugees.

Groups have sprung up on Facebook asking Lancashire residents to donate items of clothing and food supplies which will be collected and sent to a refugee camp in Calais as part of a national convoy.

Sam Griffiths, 30, who has designated her home at 9 Post Lane in Warton, near Preston, as a drop-off point for charity Calais Action, said: “I set up a Facebook group for donations and I’ve already received over 100 messages from people across Lancashire looking to help.

“I was moved to do something after seeing the image of the poor boy who drowned. I’m a mother of a three-year-old myself.

“As human beings we have a moral obligation to help other human beings. This has shown me how generous people in Lancashire are.It’s restored my faith in humanity.”

Jan Coyne has created the Chorley’s Solidarity With Refugees Facebook group and said: “Something just clicked in me a few days ago that made me decide we’ve had enough sitting back hoping someone else will do something about it.

“I’m absolutely amazed at the Chorley people – I’m humbled by them really. I’ve had almost 150 people join the Facebook group within 24 hours offering to do fund-raising and donate.I think that the generosity that the people of Chorley and Lancashire have will help make this work.”

Preston Roller Girls member Urška Frančič sayid: “Our league members have gotten together to put together a collection and we’ve had a huge response.

“I think people have had enough of leaders ignoring everything and have decided to get together and do the best we can to make other people’s lives better. If this happened to us, we would expect help from someone. It’s the only humane thing to do - we’re all human beings at the end of the day.”

Lancaster Supports Calais Refugees group on Facebook is collecting donations from local residents to take directly to a humanitarian group working with the refugees in Calais. There is a donation point at 18 Balmoral Road.

•See www.facebook.com/calaisaction for more details.