A typical schedule for a volunteering trip to Calais

All trips are slightly different. However, from our experience of running and leading these volunteer trips, below you'll find a good idea of what to expect.

Day 1

16:00 Meet other volunteers and depart from Bath area in shared cars
20:30 Arrive in convoy / car share and check in to Eurotunnel Shuttle at Folkestone
23:00-Midnight Arrive in Calais, disembark and drive 10 mins to Calais Beach hostel, or a basic hotel close by. These will be single-sex shared rooms.

Days 2 & 3

7:00-9:00 Breakfast served at Hostel (Coffee, Cereals, Juice, Baguette)
9:00 Leave Hostel for 15 min drive to either the Care4Calais warehouse or Refugee Community Kitchen & Calais Appeal warehouse
9:30-17:30 (approx) Briefing from charity manager before starting work at warehouse / kitchen and on refugee aid distributions in Calais area (some days can finish later)
18:00 Return to hostel then walk to nearby pre-arrange pub / café for supper

Day 4

9:00 Check out of Hostel, then 15 min drive to either the Care4Calais warehouse or The Refugee Community Kitchen & Calais Appeal warehouse
9:30-16:30 (approx) Work at warehouse / kitchen and on refugee aid distributions in Calais area
16:30 Return to Eurotunnel
18:20 Calais - Folkestone (40 mins)
22:00 ETA for return to Bath (dependent on traffic conditions and Channel crossing)

Typical Volunteering Day Activities

Volunteers meet at the warehouse and sign in for 9.30am. 

Following the morning briefing given by a long-term team leader, and completion of site registration, you will be given a guided tour of the warehouse and kitchen. Then you will work alongside experienced volunteers in a variety of ways - washing and chopping ingredients, packing up bags of food, sorting clothes and tent donations, making urns of tea, preparing other services ready to distribute and many more jobs dependent on needs at the time.

The warehouse has plenty of parking and is situated in an industrial business park surrounded by businesses such as mills, bakeries, and offices. The warehouse has kitchen facilities, toilets, free tea/coffee/cake.

After lunch (provided by the charity) we continue helping in the kitchen, or receive a further briefing before heading out to meet refugees sheltering in the Calais and Dunkirk area. We will help distribute clothing, blankets or food, provide hot drinks, and set up services such as bike repairs and hair cutting. At the end of the day we return to the warehouse, unload the vans and join in a debrief before leaving for our hostel. 

This may all sound like lots of travel, hard work, difficult working environments - and yes it is, but along the way all our volunteers also have an amazing and inspiring time.

join us on one of
our volunteer trips
to calais

If you can spare a weekend and the cost of the trip then we will organise everything else to get you to Calais, so you can see for yourself the importance of direct support and giving and the difference you can make.

donate some funds
to support us in our
vital work

All donated funds are directed to the grassroots charities on the ground helping refugees in Calais and used for the most urgent requirements and those most desperately in need. If you would rather purchase an item of need please go to our shop and see exactly where you money goes.