A coalition of football fan groups in England has launched a refugees' solidarity campaign to raise funds and collect football related material to distribute to refugees living in the Calais refugee camp, in France.

The 'Refugees are my football family' campaign is being organised by the T-shirt company Philosophy Football and is backed by football anti-discrimination and supporter groups, including Fare, Football Supporters’ Federation, Football Beyond Borders and Kick it Out.

Funds raised by the sale of the campaign's dedicated T-shirt will go to Doctors of the World, which staffs the only medical clinic in the Calais camp. Each T-shirt sold will fund an individual refugees' hygiene kit to help prevent the spread of disease in the overcrowded camps.

Every ten T-shirts sold will pay for a doctor and two nurses to staff the clinic for a day.

The Philosophy Football co-founder Mark Perryman said the aim was "to raise a lot of money going directly to where the help is needed most backed by hundreds, thousands, of fans wearing the message that ours is a football culture that is open and welcoming with a human generosity of spirit."

The T-shirt company is also organising a convoy to Calais carrying club scarves, which are among the items requested by charities operating in the region as winter approaches.

Philosophy Football co-founder stressed that the journey would represent "from one home of football, a powerful symbol of the kind of humanitarian hospitality all fans can be proud of".

To participate:

Send clean, good condition club scarves before Friday 9 October to Philosophy Football PO Box 11140, Harwich England CO12 9AP . Please include your name, address and email in legible writing.

or

Purchase the fundraising T-shirt 'Refugees are Our Football Family' here

From The Guardian