A BERE Alston resident is looking for help to provide equipment for a new homeless centre for women and children in Skopje, Macedonia. Trevor Paddon-Hall will be travelling to Skopje with medical and teaching staff on July 26 to assist in the setting up of the centre, which will be for 875 women and children. Being close to Kosovo, it will house displaced people from the crisis of 2000. The people are currently living on the streets or in makeshift houses covered in carpet, Mr Paddon-Hall said. The Macedonian Government has provided a barracks last used in 2000. In addition, local churches have agreed to fund a children?s camp for 1,000 children while they are there to help them learn about hygiene and education. To sponsor a child for the week, including food, is £5. Local people and friends of the Running on Wheels charity are providing labour free to refurbish the centre, and two nurses and a doctor from England will be checking all women and children for health problems. A teacher will help re-educate the women to adjust from street living to community living, with self-hygiene training. Items required include sleeping bags, children?s clothes, new shoes, trainers, toothbrushes, toothpaste and other toiletries, tennis balls, hearing aids, incontinent pads and nappies. Anyone wishing to know more or wishing to help can contact Mabel Barnes on 01822 840569.