TWO Wyre Forest parishioners have returned from a trip to some of the remotest parts of India where they saw their church's fund-raising efforts in action.

Liz Durnell and Niki Davies travelled to the tribal villages of Garo Hills, in the north-east of the country, to see the work of Father Sunny Joseph Mavelil.

Both women, who attend the churches of St Wulstan and St Thomas of Canterbury in Stourport, and Bewdley's Holy Family, spent five days with the priest, who is aiming to improve health and social care in his Tura Diocese.

The link between Fr Mavelil and the two churches came about when he visited the district while gaining experience at Birmingham's social services department last year.

After hearing of the priests' aims, the congregations set up The Sunny Charitable Trust, which has already donated £2,500 to help the programme.

It is hoped similar trips will become an annual event and both travellers expressed a desire to share their experiences with the community.

Trust chairman, Liz Durnell, said: "It is impossible to describe our trip. It was a very humbling experience. We were deeply touched by their genuine warmth, generosity, innocence and lack of material values.

"We saw such a contrast to life in England and are committed to sharing our experiences, finding out more about the issues, causes and supporting the people who welcomed us with such great acceptance, humility and friendship."

Fund-raising events are being planned to help with the next target of buying a new Jeep for the priest to enable him to travel around his 8,000sq km diocese with greater ease.

Niki Davies, who is treasurer for the charity, said: "Although the photographs capture the natural beauty of a very unspoilt world, beneath the smiling faces we discovered that, in some ways, life is very cheap.

"Because health care is not readily available and the tribal people do not always understand its importance, many do not get help in time. We want to help Fr Sunny and his diocese to change this."

To find out more about the trust, contact Liz Durnell on 0778 7773245 or e-mail the_sunnytrust@yahoo.co.uk