Three years ago ARU Alumna Mary Stretch, a former BBC journalist and French teacher founded Calais Light.

After a weekend volunteering in Calais at the amazing Help Refugees UK Warehouse and chopping vegetables for the 2000 hot meals produced daily by the Refugee Community Kitchen, she thought she could do more than go solo. Both charities are always desperate for volunteers to help feed, sort and distribute supplies to the refugees living wild around Calais and Dunkirk. So she came home and founded Calais Light. She says, “We want to have as many people going to volunteer in Calais as possible. So we have created a process that makes it EASY - there are no excuses!”

Calais Light organises regular weekend-only car-sharing convoys from start to finish, leaving from Brentwood in Essex, bringing friendly like-minded individuals together, from around the UK. It’s cheap and compatible with work. Calais Light book everything, car sharing, accommodation, ferries, nights out and take all the scariness out of going to help people living in inhuman conditions. Calais Light have a “light touch”, fast, low fuss ethos and this gives people the confidence to go next time on their own or take family and friends in the future. It certainly works. Calais Light Trip 11 leaves next month - totally booked.

A light buffet lunch will be served during the event.