Deborah Dunleavy, Srebrencia Charity Mission

A Bolton Mum has helped change the lives of families affected by one of Europe's worst genocides.

Deborah Dunleavy, who is standing as the Conservative Candidate in Bolton NE at the next General Election, travelled to Srebrencia in Bosnia on a charity mission.  The town was the site of a massacre in 1995 in which 8000 Bosniak men and boys were killed.While in the former worn-torn country she lodged with a local family and carried out work on a house in the village which has been given as a gift to the Fund for Refugees charity by the Conservative Party.

"It's was a very draining week, and a very emotional one but I got so much out of it. It was something that I will never forget. The people in the village still live in fear, the scar is still there. I spoke to one woman who said that she had found the remains of her husband, but because there wasn't 75% of the body she couldn't officially declare him dead or give him a proper burial." 

Ms Dunleavy who lives in Turton with her partner Mark and children Olly, Isabella, and Scarlett had to take 3 planes from Manchester to Sarajevo and then a four hour journey from the capital to Srebrenica.  From there the group had travelled along unmade roads each morning to the village where they worked, she said: "They were long days and it was hard work but I felt a real bond with everyone else on the trip. Whilst we were there we also helped to move the foundations of an old house, help build a football pitch and distribute kits that had been donated, it was a real privilege to be there." 

Fund for Refugees was set up by Lady Nott, the wife of Sir John Nott, who was defence minister under Margaret Thatcher at the time of The Falklands War.  Since 1992 the Charity has helped pay for 101 new homes to be built for families of victims of the massacre. 

For more information about the fund for refugees log on to http://www.ffris.org/