Charlbury Refugee Action Group (CRAG)

• Become a CRAG member and keep up to date with what we are doing by signing up to join CRAG. It's free and you receive our newsletters. Sign up now.
• If you have a general query about CRAG please email: secretary@charlburyrefugee.org.uk.
• To make a donation go to our JustGiving page (https://www.justgiving.com/charlburyrefugee) or email treasurer@charlburyrefugee.org.uk

June 2021: We are very sad to announce the death of Jon Carpenter, inspirational co-founder (with Angela Gwatkin) of Charlbury Refugee Action Group. 

In the summer of 2015, as the photograph of the drowned toddler Alan Kurdi brought home to millions across Europe the humanitarian crisis on our doorstep, Jon was instrumental in organising, with local politicians and migration activists, a public meeting at which CRAG was set up.

From that beginning, he was CRAG’s dynamo, organising mailing and membership lists, recruiting a committee, reaching out to groups and individuals with time, expertise or contacts, organising collections of clothing, bedding, medicines and other items needed by refugees in the camps of Greece and northern France, organising the production and distribution of posters and flyers to publicise CRAG’s fundraising events. He set up our Facebook page and kept it updated - sometimes with several posts a day on refugee news, events and appeals. He always helped at CRAG events too, shifting tables and chairs, and we would look out for his familiar, known face welcoming people to our concerts. He and Angela made a great team.

Jon was absolutely central to CRAG, its animating spirit. Even after motor neurone disease cruelly stopped his powers of speech and movement, he continued to post news on refugees to our Facebook page and maintained a keen interest in CRAG’s activities. CRAG simply would not exist without Jon. We owe him a great debt, and will miss him hugely.

Our thoughts and love go out to Angela, and to Jon’s family