SIX county women have been volunteering in refugee camps in Dunkirk and Calais as part of an ongoing response to the crisis by Leominster’s community and churches.

The volunteers, joined by four others from Walthamstow in North London, have been distributing clothes, packing food parcels, distributing hot drinks and helping out at the school tent at the Dunkirk camp.

The response, which started last September, has been spreading across the county and beyond with donations coming in from individuals, churches and schools.

The women drove in a minibus lent by Leominster Baptist church, which will be making a return trip with more volunteers at the beginning of June.

Kathy Bland, one of the volunteers with the group, said: “It has been heartening to see that thanks to the huge efforts of volunteers across this country and internationally, conditions for the refugees in France have improved and the most basic needs are now being met in terms of having access to shelter, clothes and food.

“There is no doubt that if volunteers were to slow down their efforts, the camps would quickly reach emergency levels again. There is now a huge need for teachers, and medics to volunteer at the camps – it is sobering to see what limited access to education these children have and the extent to which living in cold conditions has impacted people’s health.”

She added that the trip was 'very positive' and was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to volunteer at the camps.

There are all kinds of things needing to be done from clothes sorting and distribution to preparing food and making up food parcels.

People wanting to support the refugee response can donate tins of fish, chick peas, borlotti beans and tomatoes or heavy duty ‘bags for life’.

There is a collection point in Leominster Priory which is open until 4pm each day.

There will also be a quality clothes sale in aid of the refugee response on June 4 from 11am to 2pm. People wanting to volunteer their time in the French refugee camps can contact Kathy Bland 01568 610785 or find information at calaidipedia.co.uk/how-to-help