Thanks to your wonderful support, Collective Aid has made significant changes to their WASH Centre because of your donations. On March 18, 2024, the city of Calais demanded an administrative closure of our Centre due to needed structural changes to the space. Since that time, we have completed all changes required of us to keep the Centre up to code, including improving our fire and electrical safety standards.

Despite our proactive efforts, our requests for re-evaluation by city authorities have gone unanswered. Consequently, we have taken legal action in order to ensure we can reopen as soon as possible. While we have currently filed emergency petitions, we are preparing for a potential long-term litigation process, with our first court date on May 6th.

In the interim, our team has launched mobile laundry services to meet the community's needs. Although public access to the WASH Centre remains restricted, we're committed to continue providing essential laundry facilities. People are able to give their clothes to us to wash and be picked up at a later time.

We have introduced many accomplishments over the year the Centre has been open. We have created a space offering laundry services, as well as access to other amenities including wifi and charging, clothing such as t-shirts, boxers, socks and other accessories (hats, gloves, scarves), hygiene packs, and workshops hosted by other organisations offering non-formal education activities, asylum sessions and first aid for people on the move sleeping rough in Calais.

In 2023 alone, our Centre served 2,138 people, facilitating essential services and support. Notably, we washed 1,364 loads of laundry, a vital service for maintaining sanitation and hygiene, difficult to reach without sufficient access to water. We understand the number of people who come to the Centre will double in 2024 as we continue to expand our reach and impact within the community.

How can you make a difference?

Your contribution, no matter the amount, will play a crucial role in helping us re-open the Centre. We have a little more than half of our fundraiser left to go, culminating with a film screening at the Genesis Cinema in East London with a selection of short films on May 11, 2024.

Your donation will go to helping cover litigation costs associated with expediting our re-opening, while ensuring we can continue our day to day operations in the long run. We are ready to reopen our doors and offer the full service of activities our space provides.

Thank you for your unwavering support and attention,

The Collective Aid Team