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Holy Women go to the Holy Land

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 18 January 2002

Eltham vicar, Reverend Wendy Saunders is visiting the occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel at the end of January. The trip is being organised by Christian Aid who work in partnership with around twenty organisations in the area.

Wendy is vicar of St. Saviour's Church in Middle Park Avenue, Eltham and is travelling with 3 other Church of England priests and a Methodist Minister. The youngest member of the clergy group, Reverend Lucy Winkett, is also acting as group leader. Lucy has been a Minor Canon and Chaplain of St. Paul's Cathedral, London since 1997.

The itinerary includes an exposure tour of the West Bank with the Alternative Tourism Group, a visit to Yad Vashem the Holocaust Museum, a YMCA Rehabilitation Centre for disabled children and the Galilee Society for Health Research and Services along with various women's organisations and projects of the Near East Council of Churches.

Wendy said, "I'm really excited about the trip although it's a bit scary going to places like the West Bank and Gaza Strip that are so turbulent at the moment. I'm also trying to prepare myself for the impact of seeing first hand the situations people are living in. There is a great deal of poverty amongst the Palestinians because of the political situation. It's one thing to know that in your head but to see it with your own eyes may not be so easy. It will also be interesting to see how people there react to a group of women all wearing clerical collars!"

Wendy will be available to talk to groups of people about her experiences when she returns. She is also taking sound recording equipment and hopes to bring back many interviews. These will be broadcast on Millennium 106.8fm, the local radio station where Wendy presents a Sunday morning programme, from 6.30 to 9am. Wendy is also a Director of the radio station, owned by the Fusion Radio Group.

Ends

CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Reverend Wendy Saunders 98 Middle Park Avenue Eltham. London SE9 5JH

Tel/Fax 020 8850 6829
E-mail: revwendy@fish.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS 
The group leave London on Friday 25th January, returning on Monday 4th February, 2002. The 25th January is also the last day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This is kept every year from 18th - 25th January, supported by Churches Together in Britain & Ireland (CTBI) of which Christian Aid is a member organisation.

Christian Aid is the official agency of 40 sponsoring churches representing most denominations in the UK and Ireland. It began by helping refugees in Europe after the Second World War, and now works in around 60 countries where the need is greatest, helping people regardless of their religion.

Christian Aid believes local people are best placed to solve local problems. For this reason it works through local organisations, providing funds for projects. In the UK and Ireland it works with churches, schools and the public in educating, lobbying and campaigning on world poverty issues.

Christian Aid P. O. Box 100 London SE1 7RT 020 7620 4444

For more details on this trip contact
Carolyn Jay Middle East Communications Officer
Direct Line 020 7523 2349 Mobile 07899 798667
E-mail: cjay@christian-aid.org