Since the ‘Jungle’ refugee camp gained international attention in 2015, the environment in Northern France has changed dramatically. French and UK authorities take ever more drastic measures to inhibit people on the move. Yet though it is only 'record' boat crossings that make the headlines, the wider situation in Calais and Grande-Synthe remains a crisis - not for the politicians but for every person who finds themselves on the UK-French border. 

Since 2015 and to this day, the Refugee Women’s Centre has been present to provide displaced women, children and families with basic services and material support. This includes individualised material distributions (of clothing, hygiene products, shoes, tents, backpacks, etc.), and providing access to medical support, to information, to legal advice, and to emergency accommodation. Today there are estimated to be over 3,400 displaced people in the area, living in tents or under tarpaulin in scattered temporary settlements that are regularly evicted by police. 

We have been able to continue to support these individuals over the years thanks to donations from our supporters. 

Unfortunately, after over six years of delivering services, Choose Love (formerly Help Refugees) who is our major donor has informed us that from January 1st 2022, we will no longer have the option to renew our funding due to their internal strategy changes. This leaves a gap that was not possible to anticipate, and that we are currently working on resolving. 

We need your help to continue our actions on the ground. This is especially urgent as we are entering winter, the hardest period of the year. Being the only charity present in Northern France that focuses on displaced women, we do not consider stopping our activities to be an option. 

- With 10€ you can help us to buy a sleeping bag to keep someone warm ;

- 20€ allow to provide nappies and milk to a newborn for one week ;

- 25€ allow us to buy a tent to give a shelter to a family ;

- 60€ allows to keep a whole family warm.

We urge you to support us by donating, and to read and share more about our work and the situation on the ground (links below). 

We rely on this to keep going. Thank you so much for your support !