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Post by ablrateandy on Jan 7, 2016 0:53:25 GMT
*Mods - feel free to remove if inappropriate!* Hello all, I thought I'd post this in case anyone was looking for a charity to support! My wife is a paediatric doctor in London but is going to Calais this month to help out some of the children caught in the refugee camp there. "The Jungle" is not a place for a child to be. It's unsanitary, food is limited, the French govt won't allow charities to work there formally and regardless of your viewpoint on migration etc, it is NOT a place that a small child should have to exist in a state of cold, miserable limbo. Due to regulations, my wife and the other doctors going with her cannot provide medical services beyond basic first aid. However, even basic help is something that is hugely important. Conditions are cold and miserable and for a lot of kids something as ridiculous as a pack of Strepsils, a wind-up torch or a clean bandage could make a huge difference. She's got a car load of kids clothing etc to go out already but they are trying to raise some extra money so that they can buy basic supplies when they get out there. As there is no permitted "formal" organisation out there, the doctors travelling to and fro from the UK are leaving lists as they leave telling the next doctors what they are running low on. When Mrs Ablrateandy arrives, they will check the list, head to Carrefour and stock up the shelves using every penny that they have raised. Every doctor going out is doing the same and they still can't get enough basic supplies. Their aim is to try and help out as many children as possible by running a makeshift clinic. They are getting no financial help at all from any charity or agency. If anyone would like to donate some of their "Dry January" savings then we'd be massively grateful . Every penny will be spent appropriately with no admin fees or costs! For some background on the camp, see this link . And to see her page for fund raising click here . I know that this is borderline inappropriate but thought that I would throw it out there in case anyone was looking for something in particular to support in 2016! A
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pom
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Post by pom on Jan 7, 2016 8:51:51 GMT
Count me in tho seems a shame to lose out to two currency conversions..
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Post by ablrateandy on Jan 7, 2016 8:56:56 GMT
Oh sorry - I should have said that if anyone wants to do it directly rather than through the site then let me know and I can either do it through the platform or give you my wife's bank details Thanks pom
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Post by yorkshireman on Jan 7, 2016 14:09:55 GMT
I might have been prepared to consider this if more money had been spent in the UK on flood defences instead of previously supporting nations with space programmes therefore I’ll give it a miss, thanks.
Charity begins at home.
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Post by batchoy on Jan 7, 2016 14:36:58 GMT
I might have been prepared to consider this if more money had been spent in the UK on flood defences instead of previously supporting nations with spaces programmes therefore I’ll give it a miss, thanks. Charity begins at home. I am of a similar mind but for different reasons, having had to carry out several thousand pounds worth of repairs to my campervan and trailer after they were damaged by clean, well dressed, and apparently well nourished "refugees" armed with mobile phones, as they attempted to gain access to the campervan and trailer on the approach road to the the ferry port.
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Post by yorkshireman on Jan 7, 2016 14:54:58 GMT
I might have been prepared to consider this if more money had been spent in the UK on flood defences instead of previously supporting nations with spaces programmes therefore I’ll give it a miss, thanks. Charity begins at home. I am of a similar mind but for different reasons, having had to carry out several thousand pounds worth of repairs to my campervan and trailer after they were damaged by clean, well dressed, and apparently well nourished "refugees" armed with mobile phones, as they attempted to gain access to the campervan and trailer on the approach road to the the ferry port. I kept my first comment neutral but this observation adds weight to the belief that the majority of the people in the camps at Calais and other cross channel ports are economic migrants rather than genuine refugees fleeing war. France needs to move it’s a*se and return most of these people to their countries of origin. I wonder if the denizens of Henley on Thames would welcome these “refugees” if they arrived there rather than in Dewsbury or Bradford?
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pom
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Post by pom on Jan 7, 2016 15:21:02 GMT
I am of a similar mind but for different reasons, having had to carry out several thousand pounds worth of repairs to my campervan and trailer after they were damaged by clean, well dressed, and apparently well nourished "refugees" armed with mobile phones, as they attempted to gain access to the campervan and trailer on the approach road to the the ferry port. I kept my first comment neutral but this observation adds weight to the belief that the majority of the people in the camps at Calais and other cross channel ports are economic migrants rather than genuine refugees fleeing war. France needs to move it’s a*se and return most of these people to their countries of origin. I wonder if the denizens of Henley on Thames would welcome these “refugees” if they arrived there rather than in Dewsbury or Bradford? I would have to disagree that your first comment was neutral. This is nothing to do with how govt money is being spent, just doctors helping kids that need it - kids that sure as heck didn't decide for themselves to be there
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Post by yorkshireman on Jan 7, 2016 15:27:54 GMT
I kept my first comment neutral but this observation adds weight to the belief that the majority of the people in the camps at Calais and other cross channel ports are economic migrants rather than genuine refugees fleeing war. France needs to move it’s a*se and return most of these people to their countries of origin. I wonder if the denizens of Henley on Thames would welcome these “refugees” if they arrived there rather than in Dewsbury or Bradford? I would have to disagree that your first comment was neutral. This is nothing to do with how govt money is being spent, just doctors helping kids that need it - kids that sure as heck didn't decide for themselves to be there Note my comment about charity begins at home, there are plenty of deserving causes here in the UK which I prefer to support.
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pom
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Post by pom on Jan 7, 2016 15:38:22 GMT
I would have to disagree that your first comment was neutral. This is nothing to do with how govt money is being spent, just doctors helping kids that need it - kids that sure as heck didn't decide for themselves to be there Note my comment about charity begins at home, there are plenty of deserving causes here in the UK which I prefer to support. So why say anything? Donate to your chosen charities and just ignore this - instead you had to make a pointed comment about why you wouldn't - hence not neutral
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oldgrumpy
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Post by oldgrumpy on Jan 7, 2016 15:42:04 GMT
May I put a plug in for Candlelighters (in Yorkshire), who gave enormous support to my little cousin Kate, when she was between 4 and 6 years old, and did survive her cancer, www.candlelighters.org.uk/I trust the French charities are giving decent support to the children of illegal immigrants who are being shepherded by French policy into the dirty camps on the north of France coast. I prefer David Cameron's policy of supporting charities working in the refugee camps such as those just outside Syria's borders, from which asylum seekers (rather than migrant demanders of their perceived "rights") can be taken.
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blender
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Post by blender on Jan 7, 2016 15:45:34 GMT
This discussion is not very becoming. Andy's wife's charity is not a subject to debate and not part of Albrate. We are just offered the opportunity to contribute if we wish. If we do not then we do not need to knock it as an excuse. If we don't like it and don't want to contribute then why is there a need to say anything?
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Post by yorkshireman on Jan 7, 2016 16:22:40 GMT
Why is any debate about immigration always one sided? There’s enough of that in the media.
I didn’t ask these people to bring their children to Calais, if they were fleeing persecution or war then I would look at this request more favourably but I’m certainly not prepared to support economic migrants.
But then if you live in the leafy Home Counties you might see things somewhat differently, as you won’t have many, if any, schools such as the one where our daughter teaches where 85% of pupils have English as a second language and one of the highest levels of deprivation in the UK.
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Post by yorkshireman on Jan 7, 2016 16:39:21 GMT
May I put a plug in for Candlelighters (in Yorkshire), who gave enormous support to my little cousin Kate, when she was between 4 and 6 years old, and did survive her cancer, www.candlelighters.org.uk/I trust the French charities are giving decent support to the children of illegal immigrants who are being shepherded by French policy into the dirty camps on the north of France coast. I prefer David Cameron's policy of supporting charities working in the refugee camps such as those just outside Syria's borders, from which asylum seekers (rather than migrant demanders of their perceived "rights") can be taken. Well said, OG.
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Post by ablrateandy on Jan 7, 2016 17:03:39 GMT
Thankyou....and yes people are more than welcome to contribute or not (and thanks to those that have). There's no compulsion and I didn't spam the general board.
It's not intended to be some sort of competition as to who has the best charity and as a Lancastrian directly affected by the flooding I'm fully aware of the flooding damage etc and I am helping two causes there. . It was a case of "The missus is doing something nice and others unable to do the same may like the opportunity to help. "
I'd rather not turn this into a contentious thread if possible. Re the economic migrant point, yes I accept that. However, the vast majority of 0 to 6 year old children did not make an active decision to be an economic migrant. Very few three year olds, in my experience, decide to up sticks and move country to get more kinder eggs. Their parents may have made that decision for them go, but personally I don't see why it's acceptable for a child to suffer even if it's because of their parents' greed/stupidity.
Anyway.... Take it as you will but thanks again to those who have supported verbally or financially. It's appreciated.
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Post by yorkshireman on Jan 7, 2016 17:07:30 GMT
This discussion is not very becoming. Andy's wife's charity is not a subject to debate and not part of Albrate. We are just offered the opportunity to contribute if we wish. If we do not then we do not need to knock it as an excuse. If we don't like it and don't want to contribute then why is there a need to say anything? I’m not knocking the charity itself, however, a post on this forum should be open for discussion. If this isn’t the case then my comment above about one sided debate is justified.
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