Wellington boots from Glastonbury donated to Calais migrants
By Joseph D'Urso LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Several hundred pairs of wellington boots left behind at Britain's Glastonbury festival in June have been donated to migrants in the French port of Calais, where thousands are living in makeshift camps. The boots were sized, paired and quality controlled by a group of volunteers, and were sent across the channel alongside first aid kits and 2,000 unused ponchos. Festival organizers have also donated bin liners to a team cleaning up the camp. "There is a massive issue at the migrant camp with rubbish collection and recycling," festival organizers said in a statement. "Migrants living in Calais are living in desperate conditions, and we're very pleased to be able to help support their basic humanitarian needs." Some 3,000 people are living near the entrance of the Eurotunnel undersea rail link between France and Britain in a makeshift camp known as "The Jungle", trying every night to board trucks and get to Britain without permits. A wave of British volunteers and grassroots groups have been using social media to plan and help relieve what has become recognized as a humanitarian crisis, delivering bicycles, tents and guitars alongside more conventional forms of aid. The festival, in southwest England, was headlined by American rapper Kanye West, British band Florence and the Machine, and 1960s rockers The Who. The Dalai Lama, exiled spiritual leader of Tibet's Buddhists, also appeared on a soggy Sunday morning. "So much junk gets left behind at Glastonbury, it was like a rubbish dump when we left on Monday morning," said Christian Allen, 24, who went for the first time this year. "It's really great to hear they are putting some of it to a good cause." The festival gave around 2 million pounds ($3 million) to good causes in 2014, over half to three charities: Oxfam, Greenpeace and Water Aid. (Reporting By Joseph D'Urso; Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit www.trust.org)
