A GROUP from Lyme Regis felt moved to do something to help the refugees fleeing conflict who arrive in Calais in the hope of coming to the UK.

In May Lucy Campbell, Rikey Austin, Paddy Howe, Tom Loughlin and Mark Gage drove two cars full of donated clothing, bedding and camping equipment as well as £3,000 they had raised in Lyme to Help Refugees in Calais, one of the charities co-ordinating the voluntary response to the crisis. They also spent four days working as volunteers for the charity.

The committed volunteers were so horrified by the conditions the refugees were living in and so inspired by the work of the charities in the Jungle to try and improve life for the refugees that they are returning in October.

Lucy has organised another musical fund-raising evening at the Town Mill on Saturday September 17 from 7pm, featuring a DJ and local musicians.

Before then, the group will be running a street stall in Broad Street to collect for the Calais refugees and to promote the fund-raising evening.

Belinda Bawden is co-ordinating donations.

She said: "The French government does not formerly recognise The Jungle as a centre for refugees, meaning that there are no registration processes in place and the major aid organisations like UNICEF and Save the Children are unable to intervene.

"The Jungle is effectively a shanty town where refugees have created shelters by pulling tarpaulins over pallets. The sanitation is very poor and it is full of litter and sewage. It is a dangerous place, there is no law enforcement and women and children are very vulnerable to trafficking and abuse.

"According to a census done by 'Help Refugees' in August, the current population stands at more than 9,000 people. There are 22 different languages spoken in the Jungle and the majority of refugees are from Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia. There are nearly 900 refugee children and 78 per cent of these are completely alone. "

The Lyme Regis volunteers arranged their trip through the charity, Help Refugees and its sister charity, La Auberge des Migrants which receives donations from all over the world and sorts the goods out meticulously in a warehouse outside Calais.

Belinda added: "The refugees are treated with huge respect by the charity workers and volunteers who are overwhelmingly British but also German, French, American and Irish. Nothing is wasted, however, and donated goods that cannot be used are recycled to other camps or to charity shops.

"£1 feeds a refugee for a day. 10 tonnes of wood are needed every day to keep fires going for cooking and heat." The Lyme volunteers are determined to show the refugees that people here do care, so hope to return with more funds than before.

If you would like to help us raise funds for the Calais refugees, please contact Belinda Bawden at belindabawden@gmail.com.

You can donate online via the volunteers' fundraising page mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/lucycampbell1

or alternatively, you can donate directly to Help Refugees at helprefugees.org.uk/