BAPTIST parishioner Val Cook will be Kosovo-bound at the end of next month when she leaves to help people in the country rebuild their lives.

Val, 37, runs her own interior design business Valerie Ann, in Crawshawbooth, and is a member of Sion Baptist Church, Higher Cloughfold.

The church has backed her mission by helping her to raise more than £3,000 -- even though she only had to reach £1,000 to be able to make the trip with Christian charity Smile International.

And fund-raising continued this weekend when Val's boyfriend James Coates ran 70-miles from Southport to Harrogate and on the second day he was joined by Sion Baptist parishioner Philip Young.

Val, who lives in Clitheroe, said: "I didn't take part in the run, I would never have made it -- but I provided moral support!

"I am really looking forward to going to Kosovo. I will be helping to rebuild schools and also widow's houses. There were 10,000 men killed in Kosovo and they are still struggling because there are no men to do the rebuilding work.

"I will be going with a group of 50 and we will split into different groups to carry out projects and we are also going to teach building skills to the young men so they can help themselves.

"We will fly to Macedonia on July 29 and then travel across country to Kosovo where we will be working for ten days.

"I have had lots of support from the church and I would like to thank them for everything they have done. When I return I will be going round giving talks to people and groups on the work we have done to raise awareness and more money.

"Next year I am planning to go to Zimbabwe with Smile International on another mission and I will be carrying out a parachute jump to raise the necessary funds."

Val said the mission is still collecting toiletries, coats, tools and seeds to take out to the country and she would be approaching local businesses to see if they can help. She can be contacted on 01706 222268.