Lib Dems deliver vital aid to Dunkirk Refugee Camp

Throughout last week Baroness Shas Sheehan and I have been collecting vital items needed in the camp in Dunkirk. From a list of items approved by volunteers on the ground we asked Lib Dems and local residents to come together and purchase what they could. The list included brand new sleeping bags, tents, blankets, food, gas, warm and waterproof clothes as well as sturdy, waterproof shoes. We were overwhelmed with the response and managed to fill a van to the brim with these essential donations.

On Sunday, we drove the van across to northern France to the camp in Dunkirk. The conditions in Dunkirk are in many ways worse than in Calais. The mud is particularly problematic for the 2,500 mainly Kurdish refugees living there. Local authorities are disallowing any construction of more sturdy wooden shelters so most people live in tents. This does not offer much protection and makes the weather a real problem with high winds, cold temperatures and large rainfall, especially in the last few days. It is also the case that there are more families and children in this camp.

As we walked around the camp we distributed fresh oranges. We learned of the journeys, stories and aspirations of many who live there. Our vanload of essential supplies was directed specifically to the relevant distribution points and was welcomed by the volunteers who work tirelessly. In total we dropped off around 40 brand new sleeping bags, 10 tents, 5 sacks of warm blankets, 5 duvets, 50 gas canisters, hundreds of batteries, sacks of warm clothes, jackets and shoes as well as tinned food. This, we were told, meant that the volunteers were well stocked for the evening ahead. Of course, more is needed.

Baroness Shas Sheehan has led this campaign to collect and provide charitable aid to those in Dunkirk. She has worked tirelessly in and out of the House of Lords to campaign and speak up for refugees to find a political solution. As we know Tim Farron has also been leading on putting pressure on David Cameron to take in more refugees.

This is on top of a series of successful Help Refugee Action Days held by Camden Liberal Democrats who have gathered vanloads of food, clothes and blanket donations from generous local residents, raised hundreds of pounds to buy essential items and gained hundreds of signatures backing the Lib Dem and Save The Children Campaign for the UK to take in 3000 unaccompanied refugee children.

This action shows that as Lib Dems we can do more than simply criticise the government's response to the refugee crisis, we can stand up in support and help raise vital aid for refugees and campaign for a political solution. We will be putting out further calls for item donations in the future so keep an eye out. We also warmly encourage any Lib Dems to email bradleyhilliersmith91@gmail.com to find out how they can be a part of this growing liberal movement to help refugees.

* Bradley is an active member of the Lib Dems, having stood for Local Council Election in 2014 and was involved in the 2015 campaign for Maajid Nawaz. He has just finished a Masters in Philosophy and Public Policy at London School of Economics and Political Science.