We're Fundraising for HELP REFUGEES in Calais!
Tax deductible
Unity Instruments Collective is Crowdfunding for HELP REFUGEES’ Overheads in Northern France.
We recently had a team of musicians and creatives visit the communities living in Calais & Dunkirk, teaming up with education and front-line distribution organisations such as The SchoolBus Project, Utopia 56 & Help Refugees. We organised workshops, music lessons, jam sessions, concerts and mini performances. Our time was so fulfilling and seeing smiles, laughing and dancing amidst such un-bearable living conditions showed us the true resilience of humanity, and our hearts were warmed.
However, the two and a half weeks we spent alongside these organisations exposed us to the cold, harsh reality of the increasingly hostile environment created for communities here. There have been nearly 1000 human rights violations recorded by volunteer organisations in 2018 alone, and with up to 20 clearances currently happening a week the overhead costs to keep distributions providing refugees with fundamental human rights (food, water, shelter, clothing) are becoming ever more difficult to afford (more info on this topic from a recent report from Refugee Rights https://www.refugeeinfobus.com/refugee-info-bus-refugee-rights-eur?fbclid=IwAR0o0zhCwl8SdgukhBjDKL1jxc4FINjKZctGnU3lPVI7uYtMVZRkmdLs9KM).
With the increased hostility, aid operations are continuing to work in emergency mode, ensuring that refugees survive the coldest nights in Winter. In 2016 when the ‘Jungle’ camp existed, a tent had a life expectancy of 6 months. Now in 2018, that figure is just 6 days, and with clearances happening 7 times more often than just a few months ago, that figure will only continue to decrease. Considering a tent costs on average £8 per unit (and that doesn’t even include the overhead costs to make delivering that tent to a refugee feasible) it is clear why more needs to be done to make sure these organisations are receiving the continuous funding they need to complete the tireless work that they do.
About Help Refugees
Help Refugees are a frontline aid charity who relentlessly distribute thousands of items every week to the estimated 2,000 people currently living in the forests and industrial areas of Calais and Dunkirk. They also work alongside Refugee Youth Service and L'Auberge Des Migrants to run a child protection team to support families and the estimated 200 un-accompanied minors.
Here's more about them in this video link:
As well as crucial frontline operations, Help Refugees also organise events at their distribution sites like "Sunday Funday" where games and other activities are held for the communities. Our team was delighted to be invited along to perform during our recent mission.
Our Cause
This fundraiser is specifically to collect money for Help Refugees to go towards their monthly overhead costs. This refers to the day to day running costs of the organisation. This includes but is not exclusive to, rent, electricity and water bills, vehicle insurance, fuel for vehicles and generators for phone charging & wifi. These are the behind the scenes expenses which keep these organisations alive.
For example:
Electricity=£1,300 per month
Water = £1,200 per month
Vehicle Insurance - £1,100 per month
We are trying to raise - at the bare minimum - at least one of these monthly expenses, but hopefully much more!
How Far Will the Money Reach?
Help Refugees are currently covering the overhead costs for a warehouse where the following charities and organisations operate from:
· Help Refugees
· L'Auberge Des Migrants
· Refugee Youth Service (RYS)
· Refugee Women’s Centre
· Refugee Community Kitchen (RCK)
· Refugee Info Bus
· The SchoolBus Project
· Utopia 56
Along with Help Refugees' operations, the money raised from this crowdfunder will be going directly to help fund their monthly overheads, meaning it will contribute to helping the operations of all of the organisations who work out of the warehouse.
For example:
Help Refugees have one complete insurance policy which covers a fleet of 8 vehicles operating in Northern France by a number of the above organisations. In 2017, the cost for this insurance policy was £14,000 (over £1,100 per month)
We are hoping to cover this expense for a month, and hopefully more. After all, mobile frontline aid is only possible with mobility!
How Soon is the Money Needed?
The answer simply is right now! With the combination of increased hostility happening now, and winter settling in, right now is one of the most difficult times of the year for displaced people living in Europe.
Please donate what you can, share this page on your social media or to friends who are likely to support this cause!
Photo credit: Futuroberg
We recently had a team of musicians and creatives visit the communities living in Calais & Dunkirk, teaming up with education and front-line distribution organisations such as The SchoolBus Project, Utopia 56 & Help Refugees. We organised workshops, music lessons, jam sessions, concerts and mini performances. Our time was so fulfilling and seeing smiles, laughing and dancing amidst such un-bearable living conditions showed us the true resilience of humanity, and our hearts were warmed.
However, the two and a half weeks we spent alongside these organisations exposed us to the cold, harsh reality of the increasingly hostile environment created for communities here. There have been nearly 1000 human rights violations recorded by volunteer organisations in 2018 alone, and with up to 20 clearances currently happening a week the overhead costs to keep distributions providing refugees with fundamental human rights (food, water, shelter, clothing) are becoming ever more difficult to afford (more info on this topic from a recent report from Refugee Rights https://www.refugeeinfobus.com/refugee-info-bus-refugee-rights-eur?fbclid=IwAR0o0zhCwl8SdgukhBjDKL1jxc4FINjKZctGnU3lPVI7uYtMVZRkmdLs9KM).
With the increased hostility, aid operations are continuing to work in emergency mode, ensuring that refugees survive the coldest nights in Winter. In 2016 when the ‘Jungle’ camp existed, a tent had a life expectancy of 6 months. Now in 2018, that figure is just 6 days, and with clearances happening 7 times more often than just a few months ago, that figure will only continue to decrease. Considering a tent costs on average £8 per unit (and that doesn’t even include the overhead costs to make delivering that tent to a refugee feasible) it is clear why more needs to be done to make sure these organisations are receiving the continuous funding they need to complete the tireless work that they do.
About Help Refugees
Help Refugees are a frontline aid charity who relentlessly distribute thousands of items every week to the estimated 2,000 people currently living in the forests and industrial areas of Calais and Dunkirk. They also work alongside Refugee Youth Service and L'Auberge Des Migrants to run a child protection team to support families and the estimated 200 un-accompanied minors.
Here's more about them in this video link:
As well as crucial frontline operations, Help Refugees also organise events at their distribution sites like "Sunday Funday" where games and other activities are held for the communities. Our team was delighted to be invited along to perform during our recent mission.
Our Cause
This fundraiser is specifically to collect money for Help Refugees to go towards their monthly overhead costs. This refers to the day to day running costs of the organisation. This includes but is not exclusive to, rent, electricity and water bills, vehicle insurance, fuel for vehicles and generators for phone charging & wifi. These are the behind the scenes expenses which keep these organisations alive.
For example:
Electricity=£1,300 per month
Water = £1,200 per month
Vehicle Insurance - £1,100 per month
We are trying to raise - at the bare minimum - at least one of these monthly expenses, but hopefully much more!
How Far Will the Money Reach?
Help Refugees are currently covering the overhead costs for a warehouse where the following charities and organisations operate from:
· Help Refugees
· L'Auberge Des Migrants
· Refugee Youth Service (RYS)
· Refugee Women’s Centre
· Refugee Community Kitchen (RCK)
· Refugee Info Bus
· The SchoolBus Project
· Utopia 56
Along with Help Refugees' operations, the money raised from this crowdfunder will be going directly to help fund their monthly overheads, meaning it will contribute to helping the operations of all of the organisations who work out of the warehouse.
For example:
Help Refugees have one complete insurance policy which covers a fleet of 8 vehicles operating in Northern France by a number of the above organisations. In 2017, the cost for this insurance policy was £14,000 (over £1,100 per month)
We are hoping to cover this expense for a month, and hopefully more. After all, mobile frontline aid is only possible with mobility!
How Soon is the Money Needed?
The answer simply is right now! With the combination of increased hostility happening now, and winter settling in, right now is one of the most difficult times of the year for displaced people living in Europe.
Please donate what you can, share this page on your social media or to friends who are likely to support this cause!
Photo credit: Futuroberg
Fundraising team: Unity Instruments Collective (3)
Unity Instruments Collective
Organizer
HELP REFUGEES LIMITED
Registered nonprofit
Donations eligible for Gift Aid.
Claire Vine
Team member
Bea Cathro-Wears
Team member
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