SHOW YOU CARE
BY SIGNING UP TO VOLUNTEER

It will not only change your perspective, but it will also change your life. It’s different for everyone, but you get as much as you give, if not more.

You'll instantly understand why these trips are so important and you will see with your own eyes where donated funds go, and how much these items are needed.

You will meet wonderful people from grassroots leaders who work tirelessly on the ground to resilient and inspirational refugees.

A few days of volunteering with the charities in Calais makes a huge difference to the lives of refugees.

We run 3-day group trips from Bath area to help at Calais refugee charities such as Refugee Community Kitchen, Charitable Roots, Care4Calais or the Woodyard. Come and chop carrots or bag up firewood or sort warm clothes. Then spend time talking to refugees while you provide them with coffee, care and community.

Carshare, ferries & accommodation arranged for you. All you have to do is pack a bag and join us.

Click to read about a typical day in Calais

Travelling to Calais together
and making new friends.

We travel as a group of volunteers from the Bristol-Bath area, sharing car travel and working as part of a bigger team with the NGOs in Calais.

Our Volunteering visits aim to show you how easy it is to volunteer. Join one of our 3-day visits, share a car with others, with travel & accommodation arranged for you and you'll receive a warm welcome from the Charities in Calais. We spend a weekend working full days with some of the charities listed here and stay in a clean & lively hostel. We always meet many amazing volunteers and come home having made new friends.

Our UPCOMING trip dates

Thu
9 May
2024
 - 
Sun
12 May
2024
Volunteering at 
Care4Calais
Thu
26 Sep
2024
 - 
Sun
29 Sep
2024
Volunteering at 
RCK & Care4Calais
Thu
7 Nov
2024
 - 
Sun
10 Nov
2024
Volunteering at 
The Woodyard & Care4Calais
All trips have a start time of 4pm on the first day, and approx arrival time back in Bath at 10pm (traffic & Channel crossing dependent).

Still have questions?

It can be daunting to step out of your comfort zone, but you are here for a reason so keep going. Hopefully some of your questions have been answered below, if not get in touch.

What work will I do as a volunteer?

The three main partners we support (Refugee Community Kitchen, Calais Appeal and Care4Calais) all display useful volunteering info on their websites, so it's a good idea to look at their current news. Dependent on which charity we have arranged to help out you could be helping to cook food, chop vegetables, bag up firewood, sort clothes donations, prepare 100’s of teas & coffees, prepare crates of groceries, or even drive the aid vehicles.

Once out in the areas where refugees shelter, you could be helping distribute shoes, blankets or even joining in a game of football.

How much will a volunteer trip cost me?

The trips cost around £170. This covers a share of petrol, channel crossing and 3 nights of accommodation in a hostel or budget hotel. Breakfast and lunch are included on volunteer days. Bring a packed lunch or money for refreshments on the way to Dover, and budget around 20 Euros for supper in the evenings.

Each volunteer pays a £50 deposit to secure a place on the trip. The balance is paid 1 week before travel, when the exact cost of hostel and channel crossing is finalised.

The drivers are paid £130 for petrol.

Covid vaccination & travel rules for France.

There are now no requirements for Covid vaccinations or testing in order to enter France. You do not need to prove you are vaccinated and no vaccination record app is required.

You do need at least 3 months until the expiry date on your passport.

The entry rules are changing frequently, so please check here for up-to-date rules.

What are the travel times to and from Calais?

We aim to leave Bath at 4.30pm, heading to Dover Ferry or Folkestone tunnel terminal. Both the aid warehouse and the hostel are about a 10-minute drive from the ferry port and tunnel terminal. We leave the charity site about 4pm on Sunday to return to Calais ferry port or tunnel. If everything is on time, we aim to arrive in Bath by 10pm Sunday evening.

Who will be going with me on the trip to Calais?

You will meet other people just like you – people who simply want to help refugees. Our previous trip members have ranged from 17-80 years old from a wide range of nationalities. Students, parents, grandparents, nurses, builders, IT managers, opticians… anyone can come.

You will have an experienced Volunteer Leader from RefYouMe who will plan and attend the convoy trips along with anyone else who wishes to come.

Are there any age restrictions for volunteering?

The aid organisations require volunteers to be 17yrs and over. The volunteers we have met range from 17yrs to 80yrs of age.

Is it safe to volunteer?

Calais is as safe as any city. The warehouse environment is as safe as any other busy working warehouse. If you work in the Refugee Community Kitchen, you may be using sharp knives and there may be the odd forklift truck in the warehouse vicinity.  Some of the charities require help distributing aid directly to refugees, whilst others have safeguarding policies which mean short-term volunteers remain warehouse-based. Volunteers are not required to leave the confines of the warehouse if they do not wish to distribute aid to refugees in Calais, and many volunteers spend all of their time attending to all the much-needed tasks in the warehouse. Care4Calais charity encourages volunteers to spend time helping to hand out clothes, tea & coffee and chat with the refugees. The camaraderie is a special part of the day, which many refugees really appreciate.

You are advised to get travel insurance as you would for any other foreign travel, however it is unlikely to cover you for distributing aid to refugees when you volunteer outside of the confines of the charity warehouses.

I want to come on one of the convoy carshare trips – what do I do next?

Please sign up right here. You can indicate which dates suit you or register an interest for a future visit. We will notify you about further trip dates

Still have questions?

Don't hesitate to drop us a line.

join us on one of
our volunteer trips
to calais

If you can spare a weekend and the cost of the trip then we will organise everything else to get you to Calais, so you can see for yourself the importance of direct support and giving and the difference you can make.

donate some funds
to support us in our
vital work

All donated funds are directed to the grassroots charities on the ground helping refugees in Calais and used for the most urgent requirements and those most desperately in need. If you would rather purchase an item of need please go to our shop and see exactly where you money goes.

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