A West Cumbrian firefighter has taken part in a life-changing volunteering mission to support refugees in Northern France.
Ade Kevern, an on-call support crew manager with Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, was part of a contingent of firefighters from across the North West to travel to Calais and Dunkirk to help distribute humanitarian aid to refugees.
The five-day trip saw the firefighters donate their own items and then collect further donations en route, followed by three days in Calais and Dunkirk distributing the supplies they had brought – including tents, thermal clothing and hygiene products – from authorised distribution sites.
Ade, of Whitehaven, said: “The mornings were spent in warehouses sorting through donations and making up packages, and we then visited the various designated sites across Calais and Dunkirk at set times to distribute the donations to the refugees.”
During the trip, the firefighters visited camps supporting people fleeing to safety from places including Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan and Eritrea.
He added: “It was truly life changing to be able to meet and support people in such adversity, and despite the difficult conditions they are living in, they are so welcoming and appreciative of volunteers from all over the world.
“It truly puts things into perspective; I came home re-energised and immediately joined the West Cumbria Refugee Support Network, and I and hope to go back to Calais to help again next year.”
The mission was arranged through the Care For Calais organisation and supported by the Fire Brigades Union.
