Plea for help for Milton Keynes' poverty-stricken 'twin' town

The Hope Outreach UK charity, headed by city GP Dr Sam Muthuveloe, is building a community centre in Mullaiteevu, a town almost exactly the same size as MK.

The area has been devastated by civil war and the tsunami, and Hope Outreach has already provided two orphanages and dozens of houses.

The new community centre will offer job training for young people, outreach health clinics, facilities for mums and toddlers, educational programmes for children and clubs for older residents.

“The people are very poor and they are still grieving the loss of lives, dignity, and employment. said Dr Sam, who is also a reverend at St Mary’s Church in Bletchley.

"But they are hard working and resilient people, despite the harshness of the terrain. The community centre will be a p[lace for them to gather to conduct programmes and activities to help improve themselves and the community.

"It will be a centre for positive future and hope."

The cost of the project is £125,000, and local people have kept the price down by doing a lot of the physical work themselves.

Another £25,000 is needed to get the centre up and running, hopefully by late summer.

If you would like to donate towards the community centre, send a cheque payable to Hope Outreach UK to Freepost MK1840, Great Linford, Milton Keynes, MK14 5BR.