THIS is the huge pile of donations given by Oxford residents to help refugees.

Efforts to support those both in and outside the county have gathered pace over the past week.

As coverage of the crisis has continued, people have scrambled to find ways to help the Syrians.

Homelessness charity Emmaus Oxford has been so overwhelmed with donations for families camped in Calais it is now halting its appeal.

Development manager Wyon Stansfeld said: “We have had huge numbers of donations from the public, far more than last time.

"We’re in the process of arranging extra transport to get it all over there. At the moment we are looking at four vans, one lorry and one people-carrier.

“If you have already collected donations, bring them in but we are not we are not particularly asking for anything else.”

Top News

Emmaus will drive donated supplies, including camping equipment, non-perishable food, tents and weatherproof clothing, to Calais later this month.

Elsewhere, West Oxfordshire District Council has a webpage giving advice on how to help.

It includes links to Oxford charity Asylum Welcome and Crying Out for Calais, a Witney-based donations project set up by residents Hannah and Andy Bailey, who plan a second journey to Calais in October.

Councillor Robert Courts, West Oxfordshire’s cabinet member for communities and housing, said: “It’s heartening that so many local people want to get involved in helping others with some residents even offering their homes.

"However, aid could be offered simply by making a donation online or dropping money in a charity box. It will all help those in need.”

In Oxford 45 people attended a meeting at County Hall for potential foster or adoptive parents of child refugees who have come to the UK alone on Monday.

At least one person has since begun the assessment process.

There are currently 576 children in the care of social services in the county. Of these, 48 are unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASCs). Service manager Teresa Rogers said: “These children have come from countries around the world because they are fleeing danger and unrest.

“They have lost their families and often come from long and traumatic journeys. They are looking for a family to care for them.”

Most UASCs in Oxfordshire are boys aged 14 to 17 from countries such as Eritrea, Afghanistan and Albania.

Social worker Georgina Chetwynd, one of five who specialise in UASCs in the county, said: “We have young people from a wide range of backgrounds, from poor rural areas through to quite middle-class families.

“Most have been smuggled into the UK. Some have been trafficked and were forced into labour, prostitution or marriage.”

People interested in fostering or adopting asylum-seeking children should visit oxfordshire.gov.uk/fostering or oxfordshire.gov.uk/adoption