Space required to help refugee campaign group

Tuesday 11 September 2018

The Jersey Cares; Refugee Aid Group (JCRAG) are appealing for storage space to help collect, organise and store donations.

The group, originally set up in 2015 under the name 'Jersey Calais Refugee Aid Group,' have recently elected a new Chairperson and are relaunching their efforts to help refugees both in France and further afield in Europe, as well as trying to maintain public awareness of the global refugee crisis.

New Chairperson Laura Ridley, has been with JCRAG since it started and wants to continue the work carried out by Bram Wanrooij who started the group but has now moved away from the island. 

“I attended the initial launch meeting of JCRAG at Trinity Parish Hall and it moved me to my core. In April 2016, I went with JCRAG to deliver aid to the L’Auberge des Migrants warehouse in Calais and returned twice in 2016 before the camp was evicted in October. Since then I have volunteered in Northern Greece and the Greek island of Chios, and will return there again this October for another two weeks.”

Pictured: New JCRAG chairperson Laura Ridley is more motivated than ever to help with the ever ongoing refugee crisis around Europe.

The charity is now looking for a secure space no bigger than a double garage, to home all the donations that they receive, which can then be sorted through and sent out to some of the various campaigns which they have in place for the autumn.

Some of their recent donations include assisting in providing hygiene facilities at a ‘hot-spot’ in Chios, helping with funding for a volunteer run rescue boat which is in action on the northern coast of Lesvos and offering support to a community centre which helps vulnerable asylum seeking women and children in Birmingham. 

This autumn the charity aims to continue offering a helping hand to the Refugee Community Kitchen in Calais through donations, as well as helping with volunteer groups on the ground in Paris.

Pictured: With JCRAG regularly receiving generous donations from members of the public, they need to find a safe place to store it all, before it can be sent away. (Credit: Jersey Cares; Refugee Aid Group)

Anyone who can assist in the charities search for storage space or wishes to get involved with JCRAG can visit their Facebook page.