A PUBLIC meeting by the Bromsgrove Welcomes Refugees Committee was a roaring success as more than 130 people came to learn how they can help.
Many had generous donations, filling an entire van for Worcestershire charity People in Motion who will deliver aid to camps in Dunkirk and Calais.
Charity founder Elaine Lawson said the kind response of Bromsgrove residents was overwhelming after last week’s Standard article.
Wednesday evening’s event began with a speech from Caroline Spencer welcoming the congregation.
This was followed by an introduction by BWRC founder Yvonne Rendell.
Standard reporter Anu Shukla gave the first presentation and spoke about her experience at the camps and about the role the media play in communicating vital information.
She also presented a slide show of photographs and a short documentary of the camps, produced by AnuKi Media and Yellokat Studios.
Kirsty Fraser, People in Motion co-founder and tutor at The University of Worcester, gave an insightful talk about the charity’s work at the refugee camps.
She also responded to some of the fears people have about refugees.
She said: “Something about being in the room with so many people ready and wanting to help was very special, it was a pleasure to have the chance to tell the story of the Dunkirk camp.
“The more people who know and take action, the more hope for change there is.”
Professor Jenny Phillmore from the University of Birmingham also gave a presentation and spoke about refugee integration and the importance of training volunteers to work with refugees.
