Boxes of food, clothes, toys and equipment to make shelters were delivered to Calais last week, as a group of volunteers from High Wycombe aimed to help vulnerable refugees.

The kind-hearted group of 18 men and women from High Wycombe and Chesham drove a eight vehicles, including a 40ft lorry, to the French border and personally handed over items to those who needed them.

The operation, which started with just a small donation, has grown, with a garden centre helping to store items before they were transported on Friday.

Ann Phipps, who started up the group ‘High Wycombe - Donations for Refugees’, said it was a show of the caring nature of Wycombe people.

Members of the group presented a petition to Wycombe District Council earlier this month, asking for 50 refugee families to be welcomed to the district.

Speaking of the recent visit to Calais, she said: “Never have I been more proud of our diverse, wonderful and charitable town.

“There has been so much negativity recently, but it’s not a true representation of High Wycombe.”

The camp they visited in Calais was not UN-run like some resulting in no tents provided and hardly any funding, the group said.

Speaking about one of the families the group met, volunteer Tony Sterry said: “They have something to offer the UK, plus they need and deserve asylum. “We have promised to build them a new better home tomorrow which is exactly what we will do.”

The group are currently having aid delivered to Hungary, Kos, Leros and with the help of the charity ‘One Nation’, a 40 foot container is currently being filled with much needed aid for the people stranded in Syria.

Donations have also been given to Bucks charities such as South Bucks, Once Can Trust, Wycombe Homeless Connection, Christmas at the Old Tea Warehouse 2015 and Stokenchurch Dog Rescue.