Building bridges (From Warrington Guardian)

Building bridges

PEACE workers in Warrington can continue to build bridges for British victims and survivors of Northern Ireland 'Troubles' after the peace centre received £250,000 of Government cash.

The boost to the Peace Centre's Legacy Project will ensure that those who survived terrible experiences of Northern Ireland are not forgotten in the aftermath of conflict in a programme focused firmly on the future. Parliamentary Private Secretary Tom Harris made the funding announcement during the first national legacy conference at the Peace Centre last Wednesday, indicating the needs of British victims are finally being recognised. Jo Dover, Legacy Project leader, said: "A lot of these people have witnessed some pretty horrific things, but for conflict resolution to work we have to deal with the past."

This additional funding will help sustain the work done by the Legacy Project until 2007 and allow for the individual needs of British victims and survivors to be targeted, as well as creating future ways to deal with the effects of terrorism in today's society.

The project is aimed at those affected by bereavement, injury or trauma directly linked to the trouble in Northern Ireland, including the parents of Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball, the boys killed in the 1993 IRA bombing of Warrington.

MP Tom Harris told the Warrington Guardian: "It's a unique project. If you look at Colin Parry and the enthusiasm he has, it is clear the fantastic positivity of this work is the reason why the Government has invested this money.

"It is remarkable that victims are not looking for recrimination but closure, hoping their suffering has not been in vain but may also help others during this process."