A MAN from Launceston, who has spent much time in France with the charity Open Hearts Open Borders, has updated the Post on the current situation in both France and Greece.

Rob Butler, from Launceston, works with Open Hearts Open Borders to help refugees abroad that are struggling with the provision of food, shelter and warmth in northern France, most of whom have travelled far to escape conflict in their home countries. Rob’s most recent concerns follow on from news that a young refugee was killed in Calais after getting hit by a truck just after Christmas. The boy was believed to have been living on the streets, similar to many other young refugees currently seeking refuge in northern France.

Rob says there ‘are still quite a few’ minors in France, and he claimed many of the youngsters are “left stranded and at the mercy of criminal gangs, people smugglers and many more unsavoury characters.”

Rob and the team from Open Hearts Open Borders have been working closely with another charity, Safe Passage, and Labour MP for Devonport, Luke Pollard, has been a ‘big voice in parliament for this issue’.

However, it has been a positive start to the year for the charity with providing aid. He said: “At Open Hearts Open Borders we have sent four pallets to Greece — two to one happy family community centre in Lesvos that were gift boxes, and two pallets to Kerrie Moor, who runs Hope Café in Athens. That was food, nappies, wet wipes and a few other bits and bobs.

“We’ve also go a van full of aid to take to France on the 16th of this month (tomorrow). Everything’s in there — food, sleeping bags, blankets, clothing, tents.”

With the recent snowy weather causing havoc for everyone, this trip on March 16 was originally supposed to take place on the weekend of March 3 and 4, but had been postponed. Rob and a team from the charity will be spending a long weekend there, working with Mobile Refugee Support.

Open Hearts Open Borders is also planning on distributing another container to Greece in the next few months, with all of the refugee support groups in Cornwall contributing to this aid.

Rob said: “Open Hearts Open Borders acts as a central point that Launceston Refugee Support Group, Wadebridge Cornish Refugee Aid Project, Refugee Aid and One and All Aid collect aid for their own projects and also send loads to Faraday [Fearnside, Open Hearts Open Borders founder] for our big projects at Open Hearts Open Borders.”

Rob will be partaking in many fundraising events over the next few months, and was glad to hear of the news from Bude that Bude Refugee Support Group is welcoming a second refugee family to their town, whilst Launceston Refugee Support Group is also making progress with its aims.