We met the Green Party’s Co-Leader and Member of Parliament, Caroline Lucas, to tell her about the work we are doing to support refugees in Greece. Caroline contacted co-founder Paul Hutchings, who is one of her constituents, to offer her support after reading about our work in the local newspaper.
Paul took her through some photos of our work and described how we place dignity and respect at the heart of what we do to help refugees in Alexandreia and other camps. He explained that we are also trying to support Greece by supporting local businesses. Ultimately, we can help at a local level but we need the governments in the UK and across Europe to understand that refugees are still suffering a crisis. They need to do more, much more, to alleviate the suffering.
She was really supportive of our efforts and impressed with what has been achieved by all our volunteers. It is great to get this kind of recognition and as we are reliant on donations, we hope that it will help give people the confidence to support us with desperately needed funds.
Caroline said:
“I made contact with Refugee Support Europe because I saw media coverage of the amazing work they have been doing in Alexandreia and other refugee camps in Greece. It’s thanks to the hard work of people like Paul and John, who were moved by the horror of the refugee crisis to take action, that so many people fleeing conflict and devastation are able to receive the support they need at the time they need it most.
“It’s an absolute scandal that the Government is doing so little to tackle the humanitarian crisis we are witnessing. Residents in Brighton and Hove have a long history of not standing by and allowing those in facing crisis to needlessly suffer. The work Paul and John are carrying out through Refugee Support Europe reflects the spirit and welcoming nature of the city, and I’m very proud to support them in the vital work they are doing.”