SUDANESE refugees living in the vast, sprawling refugee camp ‘The Jungle’, on the outskirts of Calais, have been able to improve their language skills, thanks to a Haslemere teacher.

The number of migrants has increased to a record 6,901, according to the prefecture of Pas-de- Calais announced, an increase of 53 percent in just two months. French charity, L’Auberge des Migrants and Help Refugees, counted more than 9,100 people, including hundreds of unaccompanied children, in its own census at the beginning of August.

Haslemere teacher Francis Gottesman found adult refugees “desperately keen” to learn. when he volunteered his skills for a week with the charity, which organises and distributes much of the aid for refugees in Calais and Dunkirk.

His mornings were spent sorting clothes in the warehouse and his afternoons were spent teaching English and French to the refugees at one of the Jungle’s schools catering for both children and adults.

Francis said: “Sorting in the warehouse was a very slick operation showing that despite a relaxed feel, highly efficient systems were in place, thanks to a daily briefing at 9am on the jobs needing to be done, allocation of volunteers, whether drivers, packers, cooks, electricians or other skills, with all volunteers helping in groups under a team leader.

“There was a very strong sense of team spirit, camaraderie and commitment. Afternoons would be a big contrast when, armed with a permit to take a car past French riot police guarding the approaches into the Jungle Camp to teach at one of the schools, I found myself with an ever-growing group of mainly Sudanese adult refugees desperately keen to learn French or English.

“Despite everything these people had gone through, many of them traumatised by terrible events in their countries, exhausted by a long journey before arriving here and having virtually no possessions of their own, their enthusiasm, friendliness and gratitude were truly heart-warming, and I was sad to have to say goodbye to them at the end of a week helping.”

Earlier this year, the French authorities dismantled the southern half of the camp, where thousands of migrants fleeing war or poverty in the Middle East, Africa and even as far away as Asia, have massed, hoping to make their way to Britain.

The northern part of the camp is due to be dismantled soon.

Alternative accommodation in large containers has been offered on condition refugees register as asylum seekers in France, but many do not wish to. These people, whether going through the asylum registration process or hoping to come to the UK, are looked after by a variety of organisations and charities.

L’Auberge was launched in September 2015, soon after the Jungle Camp was established.

It has kitchens preparing thousands of hot meals each day, which are then delivered to the refugee camp.

In addition, thousands of bags of donated clothing, kitchen utensils, toys, and blankets are delivered every day, which are unpacked, checked for quality and suitability, and separated into use for men, women or children, before being distributed.

While the warehouse and the charity are overseen by a small number of full-time co-ordinators, the huge bulk of the help in cooking, sorting, distributing is provided by volunteers who stay from a day to a few months, with sometimes more than a hundred volunteers working on any given day.

“I would encourage anybody of whatever age or skill to consider going out to volunteer for a weekend or longer,” Mr Gottesman added.

“There were students, retired people, people combining volunteering with holidays, and even a few children helping alongside their parents. All were warmly welcomed.

“The charity can help volunteers find nearby accommodation, and longer-term volunteers can be accommodated at reduced prices or even for free. Financial donations or donations of goods are also highly welcome from those who are not be able to volunteer their time, but still keen to help.”