Brighouse dentists provide help for refugees in Calais
Dental professionals from a practice in Brighouse have visited a refugee camp in Calais to provide much-needed dental care.
The Town Hall Dental team joined forces with Pure Smile Fulham to help more than one hundred refugees. The expedition was funded by the practice’s charitable arm, the Town Hall Foundation, local non-profit Focus4Hope and the Moonlight Trust. This is the third time volunteers from the practice have visited Calais in 2019. Focus4Hope, a local charity that supports homeless people, has also funded several visits, with both organisations teaming up with Care4Calais to deliver support and treatment to those living in the refugee camps.
Over the course of two days, the Town Hall Dental team saw around 130 patients, providing a wide range of treatments and handing out essential supplies. This time around, the efforts of the individuals were greatly helped by a new minibus, which was funded by Focus4Hope and the Town Hall Foundation. Over the past 12 months, the non-profits have been working with local businesses and taking part in events, such as sponsored skydiving and rock climbing, to raise money for the vehicle. With the help of the minibus, the team was able to cover more ground and transport volunteers around quickly and easily.
Practice manager of the surgery and co-founder of the Town Hall Foundation, Rachel Dilley, said that it was “amazing” to be in Calais again and to be able to help so many people. From past experiences and previous trips, the volunteers have learned a lot, and they were able to see more refugees as a result this time.
The aid trips provided by charities like the foundation and Focus4Hope enable refugees to access essential health and dental services. The organisations are now keen to start fundraising again to buy a fully-equipped dental van in 2020.
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