The Victims of Torture Centre in Sarajevo is one of the places where Ledbury osteopath Beverly Gyde could find herself working this summer, now she has started fundraising for a mission to Bosnia.

The mother-of-two, from the Ledbury Osteopathic Practice in Woodleigh Road, will be travelling to eastern Europe with the Healing Hands charity on August 26.

She said: "I'll be there for a week, working in an orphanage and clinic. There's a need for all sorts of things in Bosnia. People have sustained a lot of physical injuries."

Though the Victims of Torture Centre is not on her official brief, Mrs Gyde expects to carry out a lot of outreach work to surrounding areas and is ready to visit the centre if asked.

She has been attending Healing Hands seminars to mentally and emotionally prepare herself for what she may see and hear.

Mrs Gyde, a registered osteopath for 14 years, needs to raise £600 to cover the cost of the trip with the charity, which offers the benefits of complimentary health to people in war-torn areas.

She said: "My working tools are my hands. "

The experienced osteopath would be staying longer than a week in Bosnia had it not been for family commitments. Her two young children are Katherine, aged five, and Rachel, aged two.

But any money raised over the £600 will be put into an account for a follow-up trip to Sarajevo in the future.

Mrs Gyde has only been fund-raising for a week, but with £182 towards the trip already, she has been astonished by the kindness of patients at the practice who have dug-deep to help.

She has also received a generous donation from Southend business, Stuart Houghton Ltd.

Anyone wishing to make a donation should write to Mrs Gyde at Ledbury Osteopathic Practice, 2 Conigree Villas, Woodleigh Road.