The idea behind the children projects started back in 1994 when Sheffield PSC received an appeal from the Union of Health Work Committees for support for the children library project which they had started at "Al Asria” children centre in Jabalia Refugee camp. Jabalia is the biggest Palestinian refugee camp anywhere in the Middle East, with 120,000 refugees.

Around the same time, two members from Sheffield PSC and National PSC, Mike Rowson and Musheir El-Farra, visited few children centres in the Gaza Strip and nominated two other centres to be part of our fundraising activities for Children in Palestine.

We currently support three childrens' projects, each based in one of the many refugee camps which are found in the Gaza Strip. The three projects try to provide the children and young people who live in the camps with a safe place to play, socialise and to learn. We are also developing a fourth project, a new partnership with a newly established, small project in a different area of Khan Younis refugee camp.

Since 2003 it has become increasingly difficult for foreign nationals to get into the Gaza Strip and only Musheir El Farra, our chair (who comes from Khan Younis), has travelled there. He tries to go twice a year but his visits are frequently delayed or prevented altogether due to border closures at Rafah.

Afaq Jadeeda Children Centre (Nussairat Refugee Camp)

This centre, which means ‘New Horizons', is located in the Nusseirat Refugee Camp, which is a few miles south of Gaza city and is home to 64,000 Palestinian refugees. Afaq Jadeeda is run by a small group of volunteers and is a registered local charity.

Some of the ways we have supported this centre over the last few years include:

* Meeting the cost of a T.V. and video in 2001
* The cost of refurbishing the arts and activities room, completed in 2002
* A play room with furniture in 2003
* Equipping an outdoor playground on some land acquired by the centre in 2004 to 2005

A shorouq wa al amal Children Centre

This centre, known in English as Sun Rise and Hope,is found in the Khan Younis Refugee Camp, home to over 60,000 refugees and located in the Gaza Strip. The centre is run by the Culture and Free Thought Association, which is a local charity.

We have supported this centre by:

* Refurbishing the children's library in 2002 and meeting the cost of regular supplies of books and games
* Developing the children's playground at the centre, including provision of a slide, two swings, a merry-go-round and a seesaw
* Meeting the cost of an outdoor activity room and ball pool, completed in 2001
* A playhouse with children's furniture

Al Asria Children Centre

This centre is in the Jabalia Refugee Camp, north of Gaza city and home to 104,000 Palestinian refugees. It is run by the Union of Health Work Committees (a medical charity).The ways in which we support this centre include:

* Providing the centre with a modern computer in 2000 and the cost of a three month computer course for children of different ages.
* Buying books and other educational items for the library project
* Meeting the cost of musical instruments to enable the centre to set up a children's choir and orchestra
* Funding the cost of a costume for the folk dancing group, for 15 boys and girls
* Funding the cost of a summer play scheme in 2005
The Al Asria folk dance tour to England: June/July 2005.

The most recent achievement was a two week tour by the young people of the Al Asrai Dabka (folk dance) group last summer.