Employees from Archers Marquees, based in Charlton, Radstock, will be setting off to volunteer at the Dunkirk refugee camp, travelling 250 miles from Somerset to Northern France on April 17th.
The local company, which specialises in event marquees, has linked up with the charity, Help Refugees, co-ordinating a three-day trip which will involve completing vital building and maintenance work at the Dunkirk site.
The humanitarian camp, opened on March 7th, offers far better living conditions than the old ‘tent city’ that refugees lived in during the winter. However, the new site requires extensive infrastructure development, from plumbing networks to semi-permanent structures.
And it was the latter requirement that pricked the ears of Archers Marquees owner, Anthony Dutton. He said: “We had a think about it and came to the conclusion that, with the transferable skills our workers have, it would make sense for us to do some worthwhile charity work just before our busy summer season gets going again.
“The response from the boys was really positive, and we had five commit that day, excited and enthusiastic to go and do a good deed. Obviously, the excitement wore off when I mentioned the 6 a.m. start for work the next day, but it is safe to say they have been really looking forward to it for a while now.”
All of the volunteers are local men and will be sharing their thoughts about the trip on the company’s Facebook page before they leave.
As part of the trip, Archers Marquees will be filling two of their large vans with specific food and clothing donations over the coming weeks, inviting local residents to get involved by showing their support on social media or even making a donation. Warm blankets, gloves and clothes for teenagers are in particular demand.
If you would like more information on how you can donate, email: [email protected] or visit: https://www.facebook.com/ArchersMarquees/