Holocaust survivor visits charity

Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss has promised to help raise awareness of a Flintshire-based charity for homeless families.

The step-sister of war diarist Anne Frank she said she was impressed by the "wonderful" work done by Save the Family, based at Plas Bellin.

The charity has been helping and housing families since 1976.

Mrs Schloss visited the charity with television presenter June Sarpong.

The visit was designed to raise awareness of the charity, and to appeal for funding to create another centre.

Mrs Schloss, whose mother married Anne Frank's father after World War II, went into hiding with her family for two years before being captured by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz concentration camp.

She has dedicated much of her life to spreading a message of tolerance.

June Sarpong and Eva Schloss were welcomed by founder Edna Speed

After meeting families living at the centre, she said: "I was in the depths of despair and went through terrible experiences, but through the strength of my family before, I felt I had to survive.

"I wanted to get married and have a family and that gave me the strength to get through the concentration camp and survive."

She added: "I have told them [the families] that I know they have been through difficult times, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

"Everyone goes through bad patches, but if you want to get out of it, life is beautiful and there's so much to offer.

"It's wonderful work they do here, and it's a petty it's not more well known. But I will certainly be mentioning it because it's a worthwhile project with obvious results."

The charity is based at Plas Bellin

Save the Family was started in 1976 by Edna Speed MBE, and became a charity in 1985. It helps homeless families throughout north Wales, Cheshire and Merseyside.

As well as accommodation cottages, Plas Bellin also provides training and learning centres, as well as play areas for children.

It has helped accommodate and train more than 5,000 people, and is now appealing for funding to build a similar centre nearby.

Television presenter June Sarpong said she found the project "amazing".

She added: "I had never heard of the charity, but I'm completely behind it.

"It's wonderful the way they have given people a chance and helped turn their lives around - people who society had totally given up on.

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