At about 9 a.m this morning a team of DRS volunteers waved goodbye to Rebecca and Adam from Leicester as they set off on their journey to Paris. Tents and sleeping bags salvaged from festivals, clothes and blankets and food thanks to YOUR generosity were loaded into a lorry on a bright and blustery September morning
Massive thanks to https://www.lesolidarity.co.uk/
And to our members and supporters thank you soooooooo much!!!
Wonderful DRS volunteer Claire’s fascinating website includes reviews of children’s books such as “Tomorrow” by Nadeen Kaadan, which deals with many of the issues faced by refugees fleeing their homes..
“This book tells the story of Yazan who can no longer go to the park. He no longer goes to school. He even starts to miss it “which was a surprise”. It’s too dangerous to be outside and Yazan’s mother has become so preoccupied she doesn’t even paint anymore. But Yazan’s concerns aren’t about the news; he wants to go to the park. One day, Yazan decides he’s going to the park, takes his red bike and leaves the house alone. Everything is different to how it used to be. I won’t spoil the ending, but needless to say, he makes it home again safely. “
For more details of this and other books please visit:
https://clairestoreylanguages.co.uk/2018/09/17/world-kid-lit-challenge-day-16/
Is it just me or do you think we're all getting a bit posher now we have a new home? Here's Ali "call me Mozart", Muyash, "call me Shakespeare" and Amy, "call me errrrrrm, a poser?"
Thanks to everyone who volunteered and/or donated today, especially Sarah Farrell from Woodland Beasties, Di Moor from Wirksworth Women's Union and Amanda from Derby Contact Centre. We are soooo grateful for your kindness!
Derbyshire Refugee Solidarity, Registered Charity Number 1179384, is delighted to announce that we are now installed in our new premises at St Anne's Church, Whitecross Street, Derby, DE1 3NE. Access to the car park is on Whitecross Street. We will be there for sorting and donations every Thursday morning 9.30 until 12.30 and hopefully some Saturday mornings in the near future.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Today, DRS finally moved into our new home, the first one that feels like a home. We knew we were home because we met the loveliest neighbours ever...Audrey and Peter.
Thank you so much to everyone who helped today, especially Keith McCartney for being so generous with his van and his time, to Jabina for the car load of donations and to Edward and Alison from Mothers' Union, Derbyshire for their continued support with the Moses Basket project.
Guess how many people turned up to help DRS move on 30th August?? Go on, guess!!
THIRTY FOUR LOVELY LOVELY PEOPLE came to help with the move from the portacabins to our amazing new home. Thank you so much to everyone who came, especially the teams from the YMCA and from NCS Nottingham. And thanks to Chrissy Bullock for a car load of exciting donations and Alysonand Tony Bates for some very special collectors' items soon to appear on ebay.....
And finally thanks to everyone at St Anne's Church for letting us share this beautiful building. We promise to take very good care of it!
DRS volunteers are super proud to be part of the amazing teams who salvaged at Leeds festival yesterday! Here's Keith, Hafiz, Zak, Alberto and Steve emptying about 250 tents, 150 chairs and 100 sleeping bags at the portacabins. These can now be sorted and off to Paris or Calais in the next few weeks where they are desperately needed. Thank you so much to everyone who helped at the salvage - please identify yourselves so we can thank you properly!!
DRS are VERY excited to announce...WE HAVE A NEW HOME!!!
Starting next Thursday we will begin the process of moving to an amazing new premises in the centre of Derby. Not only is it better than we could have ever hoped for, it is ours for the foreseeable future!
Our new home is a part of St Anne's Church, Derby DE1 3NE. It is easily accessible for vehicles, close to DRAC and perfect for our needs!
Lots more details to follow but for now, thanks so much to everyone who made this happen and to all our fantastic supporters who have stuck with us through thick and thin and rats and rain and cold and chaos!!
DRS spent five days at this year's Northern Green gathering selling salvaged chairs and mattresses and donated clothes and meeting all sorts of wonderful people! Organised by Kate with support from Hafiz, Steve, Rachel, Sherko and Julie the event raised lots of money for DRS coffers (Actual total not available at time of going to press!) and made us lots of new friends!
I don't know. Kids these days. Turning up early in the morning, during their holidays to help fill two vans for Syria and Calais and then ASKING to take more work home with them to do in their own time!!!
Thanks so much to everyone who helped out this morning especially Katie and the team from NCS Nottingham, to Lesley who is off to Calais with your donations next week and to the lovely chaps from Bradford taking a van full of white sacks to help fill a container to Syria!
To donate to Derbyshire Refugee Solidarity please click the "Donate" button below and enter the amount you wish to contribute. Thank you!
