PEOPLE in the Okehampton area have pulled together to respond to the refugee crisis across Europe with collections in the area to help those fleeing their home countries.

Over recent weeks the refugee crisis affecting mainland Europe has continued to escalate, with people from Syria and other countries fleeing their homes in mass numbers and heading for safe haven in other countries.

One of the major crisis points has been at Calais where thousands of refugees have set up camp. The majority are trying to head to Britain and start a new life. Refugees have camped at Calais for over a decade but in recent months the numbers have increased and many people living in the camp are trying desperate measures to cross the channel.

Tam Dawn and her husband Simon from Merton decided to do whatever they could to help people living at the camp and provide them with resources to help them in their plight.

Tam and Simon have raised funds for numerous local charities in the past but decided to respond to the crisis in Calais.

They set up the ‘North Devon Calais Donation Collection Points’ Facebook event page.

The page asks people from across the north of the county to donate much needed items to help refugees living in the camp. These items will then be taken across to Calais in October as part of a wider campaign taking goods to the camp to be donated to refugees in need.

Initially the plan was to take two vans — one driven by Tam and Simon, the other by their friends Karen and Ian — to Calais full of donated goods but that number has increased to eight due to the response.

Tam said: ‘With the crisis at Calais we wanted to do something and we thought that we are near enough to do something practical to help. The response from local people has generally been extremely positive and while some have criticised and said that charity starts at home, most people have had good things to say. We are going for humanitarian reasons, to help the people living in the camp.

‘The response has been good and things have escalated quickly. We will be going over with a convoy from Bristol and our local campaign is part of a much bigger regional effort.

‘We are absolutely heaving with stuff. We are fortunate that at the moment we are using a warehouse in the area where we can store and sort through our donated goods. One thing that we really are in need of is men’s clothing. There are around 4,000 men living in the camp, with the number of women and children living there much smaller. So one of the major things we need is men’s clothes and shoes.’

Among the items most urgently needed are plastic storage boxes with lids, double skinned tents, waterproof ground sheets and tarpaulins, sleeping bags, camping equipment including cooking utensils, men and women’s trainers, waterproof clothing for all ages, bandages, antiseptic wipes and basic first aid resources like plasters, toilet paper, tinned food that can be eaten cold, tea bags, sugar, language books, pens and paper, heavy duty bin bags and candles, matches and torches.

In Okehampton the collection point for the relief effort is St James’ Chapel. Donations can be made from Monday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm. Items are to be left behind the screen at the back of the chapel. For larger donations visit the ‘North Devon Calais Donation Collection Points’ event page on Facebook.

Chagford’s Proper Job recycling centre is also acting as a collection point. Donations can be made here from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

If you have nothing physical to donate but would like to contribute money to the relief effort visit http://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/northdevoncalaiscollection

To find out more about the appeal search for ‘North Devon Calais Donation Collection Points’ on Facebook.