A RETIRED Settle woman is preparing to travel to Cyprus to help out at a centre for refugees escaping Syria and Turkey.

Gillian Gape was inspired to apply to go to the centre in Nicosia run by Refugee Support Europe after the organisation’s co-founder, John Sloan came to Craven last year to talk to the Settle Area Refugee Support Group.

The Settle group has welcomed speakers from several different organisations to raise awareness of the problems faced by refugees and asylum seekers both in the UK and Europe over the last months. Mr Sloan explained how his charity sees itself as giving a ‘hand-up’ and not a ‘hand-out’ and left his audience inspired to think of ways they could help.

He explained how the centre in Nicosia mostly helps refugees coming from Syria and Turkey into Northern Cyprus. Cyprus has the highest number of refugees per head of population when compared with the rest of Europe, he said.

Through donations and fundraising, the charity was able to buy a building, before renovating it to provide a place of dignity and respect. The charity aims to provide basic needs such as showers and washing machines, and even a place to get a haircut, as well as opportunities to learn languages, skills and trades.

Mr Sloan explained how volunteers at the centre worked in teams in placements of two to four weeks. They are completely self-funded, have to sort out their own travel and accommodation and must be prepared to take on any task asked of them.

Gillian Gape, who has undertaken several overseas placements since retiring, mostly in Tanzania and South Africa, applied to go to the centre, and was accepted.

Her previous experience has been mostly in schools, working with teachers and pupils in areas of deprivation and hardship. She also set up and managed a ‘connecting classrooms’ link with Settle CE Primary School.

Gillian, who is due to travel to Cyprus next month, said she was excited by the opportunity to undertake voluntary work once more.

“It will be a challenge but I hope that I will be able to make a useful contribution. Volunteering in retirement provides an opportunity to make use of experiences and skills learnt through life. I’d like to use mine to help refugees in the dreadful situations they now find themselves, “ she said.

Each volunteer for Refugee Support Europe is asked to raise funds for the charity. To help Gillian, visit: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/GillianGape.

Settle Area Refugee Support Group is part of the Craven Refugee Support Network and works to helps refugees and asylum seekers in the area.