A woman is embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Kenya to help build a support centre for women and children who have suffered violence and abuse.

Margaret Buttifant, from Bungay, will travel to Mombasa in October to take part in the Action Aid project, which aims to provide a centre in a village just outside the city to provide help, support and advice for women and children.

Ms Buttifant said: "The centre aims to give them access to legal, psychological and physical advice and help to rebuild their lives."

She has to raise £3500 to cover the cost of the trip and her contribution to the building materials and is anticipating it will be a challenging experience, both emotionally and physically.

"I'm excited about it. It is the first time I have done anything like this, but it is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity, and something I have often thought I would like to do. Now I am going to do it," she said.

Two things in particular made her decide to sign up.

One is that she has supported action Aid for some years, and sponsors a child in Kenya.

The other is that her father was in Mombasa during the second World War.

"I would like to go and see where he was. In a way this project is continuing the work he was doing in the Army - his main role was setting up field hospitals," she said.

Ms Buttifant will be in one of two groups of 25 people going out to help build the centre, along with local people.

Her group will be the second of them, working for five days on any task given them in the construction process.

As it stands, her fundraising is going well and she has a number of events planned, including a bingo session at Emmanuel Church Hall, on June 1, a charity concert at the church in July and an afternoon tea at Earsham Hall.

Tickets for the bingo evening and charity variety concert can be purchased Tops hairdressers or at Musker McIntyre.

She has also set up a Just Giving page online, through which people can donate. Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/MargarettoKenya