Shoreham volunteer launches fundraising campaign to raise awareness of conditions for child refugees in Greece

Ella Morrice is spending two months volunteering with Lighthouse Relief, a non-profit organisation providing emergency relief to people arriving to the north shore of Lesvos and long-term psychosocial support to asylum seekers in Ritsona Refugee Camp in mainland Greece.

She and her friend Zoe Dings want to raise £1,735 to help maintain a safe space for the refugee children, and have already collected more than £500.

Ella said: “The camp is rapidly expanding, from 900 people in December 2019 to 3,100 by the end of February. Because of this, there is a greater need for pyschosocial support and extra resources for the activities.

“We are hoping to raise some money to help Lighthouse Relief cover these extra costs and add safety features to the space.

“In the time I’ve been in one of these camps, I’ve learned about the dangerous and long journey’s people have made to escape the terror in their homeland. These families were just like those in Shoreham before violence broke out.”

Ella, who was born and raised in Shoreham, is hoping to be in Greece until the end of March and will then starting a graduate job in London at the beginning of April, before graduating from the University of Exeter in July.

She said: “I’ve taken two months away from my career to volunteer my time supporting Lighthouse Relief. I’ve witnessed primary school aged children who are incredibly eager to learn but unable to access education because there is none offered to them and children shivering dressed in only a t-shirt and flip flops in freezing temperatures.

“I’ve been shocked at how cold, snowy and stormy it gets here. There are numerous infections and wounds, for which there is only one doctor, for 2,500 residents, to support. And this is one of the better camps in the region.

“Living in Shoreham it is so easy to detach ourselves from issues such as these but this is taking place in Europe in a country that many local residents will be heading to soon for their holidays. This is precisely why I am so keen to share my personal experiences to inform people on what is happening and how they can help.”

Visit www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/33381 for more information and to make a donation.