Foundation for Peace celebrates 20th ‘birthday’

A CHARITY set up in the wake of the IRA bomb attack on Warrington which claimed the lives of two young boys is set to celebrate twenty years of operation.
The Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace started work on April 5 1995 when a new charity was formed and incorporated as the Warrington International Youth Centre Trust. The charitable company was established following the Warrington bombings on Bridge Street that killed 12-year-old Tim Parry and three-year-old Johnathan Ball.Tim’s parents Colin Parry OBE and Wendy Parry OBE created the charity in memory of the boys.
Warrington Borough Council supported the formation and other founders included John Gartside OBE, Mike Sanders and Denis Cooper – the Council Leader, CEO and Hon. Secretary at the time of the bombing.
The charity was originally set up to advance education to young people; and to provide assistance, social welfare and the provision of facilities for recreation and leisure for youngsters.
In March 1998 the charity changed its name to the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Trust. Its work developed to help people, especially young people, of all races and faiths and nations in understanding the causes, management and non-violent resolution of conflict.
In the early days the charity offered the Tim Parry Scholarship that brought together young people from Warrington, Belfast and Dublin to consider their differences and to understand what they had in common. An ambition came about to build a home for the scholarship and in 2000 the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Peace Centre was opened and became the home of the charity working with the NSPCC and the Warrington Youth Club.
In December 2006 the charity became the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace and since that date has expanded to promote national and international conflict resolution and reconciliation.
Nick Taylor, Chief Executive said: “Colin and Wendy Parry couldn’t have imagined that their ambition would have grown into the organisation it is today.
“They started the charity from Tim’s bedroom and went on to build the amazing Peace Centre and establish a charitable Foundation that continues to expand and is having such an impact on a global scale.”
The names of Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball are known throughout the world and still provide that strong message for peace – the charity will mark its 20th year quietly and proudly looking forward to its twenty-first year and beyond.
To find out more about the work of the Foundation log onto www.foundation4peace.org