A special fund established to pay for a mobile dental clinic in Gaza is being wound up – seven years beyond its original end-date. The Church in Wales established its Jubilee Fund as a Millennium project in 2000. The mobile dental clinic in Gaza was the fund’s main beneficiary until 2007, when it became the sole project to be supported by the fund; along with the Shija’ia Family Health Clinic, which was re-stocked and re-built by the fund in 2009.

The Church’s Jubilee Fund was originally planned to run for just a decade, but the bishops of the Church in Wales decided to continue funding the dental clinic after hearing about the important work it was undertaking.

The mobile clinic – a dental surgery in the back of a van – was operated by the Near East Council of Churches. The work is now carried out through NECC’s health clinics.

In its 17 years of operation, the Church’s Jubilee Fund as raised almost £220,000 and supported 11 overseas projects.

“The Jubilee Fund was originally set up with an expected 10-year life span,” the Church in Wales lead Bishop, John Davies of Swansea and Brecon, said. “Having achieved its primary objectives in the first decade, due to events in Gaza in 2008-09 and the continuing work of the mobile dental unit, the Bishops decided to extend the funding.”

He continued: “We are pleased that the Church in Wales was able to respond to the call for practical help when it was most needed and we are proud to have been able to fund the mobile clinic for so long. The van, with its Welsh red-dragon stickers, was a familiar sight in Gaza City, and examinations, treatments and medicines were provided free of charge, thanks to the generosity of churches and individuals in Wales.

“We would like to thank everyone who contributed over the years.”