A ROSSENDALE man is returning to Romania this year to help raise at least £35,000 to help children who live on the streets.

Vic Brown will visit the former Eastern Bloc country in July to spend time with a charity called the City of Hope Association, which gives support to street kids in the capital Bucharest.

The 56-year-old teacher has been doing charity work to help the children for five years. This year he will be part of a team including Whitworth High School teacher Anne Harris, who is hoping to raise money for the charity.

City of Hope is hoping to rebuild a street outreach centre costing £35,000, and wants to build secure accommodation for 300 children called Village of Hope.

Vic, an IT teacher at an East Lancashire special needs school, will work with the charity's assistant director of communications Marian Zaharia, known as Mike, to gain an bigger insight into charity's work.

This week Mike has been in Rossendale meeting Mr Brown and the Mayor Coun Eileen Kershaw.

Mr Brown said he was looking forward to the work, which he describes as often depressing but very rewarding. He said: "This year I am going back to try and get a bigger picture and understand MIke's work more. Once I understand the project I will be going back and fundraising to help the charity achieve at least one of the objectives."

Vic became interested in Romania after hearing about the country from a church friend. He went out to the country four-years-ago to help in a building project for a centre for children suffering from AIDS. He said: "The person said you can go out and make a difference. Some people think the people of Romania need clothes and shoes, but they don't. They have plenty of them, but need funds.

"There is a lot of corruption in the official channels so it is important to put the money through people we trust and know they will use it 100 per cent on projects."

To find out more about the charity visit www.streetkidsmatter.org. Anybody interested in offering help or donations to the project should contact Vic Brown on 01706 226533.