VOLUNTEERS from Weymouth who set off to the refugee camp in Calais have thanked the community for their generous donations.

At the start of September residents of Weymouth and Portland were urged to give what they can to the group, as the Echo backed the Europe Refugee Crisis Appeal to support hundreds of thousands of families who are in desperate need of emergency relief.

The number of people forced to flee violence and conflict today is the highest since the Second World War and many people are dying on these dangerous journeys to safety in Europe.

Six volunteers from a group of churches including the Weymouth Prayer House on Newstead Road, The Father’s House in Shaftesbury and Catch the Fire Church in Bournemouth have now set off on their journey to the Calais refugee camp to offer help and support.

Paul White, pastor of the Weymouth Prayer House, said the group was hugely grateful to everyone who had supported them in their appeal.

He said: “Looking at the news, my heart breaks for these people who are just like you and I.

“I think we are doing the right thing by going, helping, donating, giving and praying.

“We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone that has donated, whether they gave money or urgently needed items such as tents, sleeping bags, toiletries and blankets.

“We received £250 from someone who read the Echo article and lots of other donations we wouldn’t have had otherwise without the publicity.

“Bentos in Weymouth also held a tea and coffee morning and raised a further £200.

“We have even been able to send some surplus items on a van direct to Syria. The response across the borough to our donation appeal has been brilliant.”

The group of six volunteers will be returning from their cross-channel trip to Calais tonight.

Paul added: “The refugee crisis is pretty much on our doorstep. Typically we watch the news and often feel that the problems of the world are very big and very far away.

“The Syrians and a number of other refugees are arriving on our doorstep and knocking on the door of Europe for help.

“If we do nothing we have made a response and offloaded the problem onto somebody else.”

For more information visit the Compassion for Calais page on Facebook.