Community supports Lord Bates’ Walk for peace

Lord Michael Bates and his wife Li Xuelin
Lord Michael Bates and his wife Li Xuelin’s long standing support to the British Chinese society has won over the respect of many people. Their contributions in areas such as culture, politics, business, trade and education have influenced the community in a positive way.
Michael Bates is currently walking 1000 miles from London to Berlin (4 August to 3 October, 2014) to raise funds for a charitable cause (Friedendorf International). Friends from the Chinese community saw him off on the first day of the walk and wished him the best of luck.
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Michael Bates (53) is a Conservative member of the UK House of Lords and a junior minister (Whip) in the Government. Previously Michael was an elected member of the House of Commons (1992-97) and a minister (Paymaster General). He has also served as a Deputy Chairman/ Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords and a Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. This is the third ‘walk for peace’ which Michael has undertaken the first was from Olympia, Greece to London (2916.1 miles) between 2011 and 2012 then London to Derry (518.8 miles) in 2013, this walk raised over £50,000 for save the Children’s work in Syria. Michael walks alone but is supported by his wife Xuelin a British Chinese businesswomen whom he met and married through his ‘Walk for Truce’.
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Route 

Michael started his walk following the Service of Solemn Commemoration at Westminster Abbey on Monday 4 August, 2014. Following a symbolic walk that evening he proceeded to central London on 5 August to Woking, then to Petersfield (today) and Portsmouth on the 7th August where he will board a ferry for Caen in northern France. Other key points on the will be:

On Saturday 16 August – With his wife, they will visit the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Noyelles-sur-Mer on the Somme which is the main cemetery which commemorates the contribution of the Chinese Labour Corps in WWI;

Michael adds: “Approximately on August 20th I will visit the CWGC Cemetery at Arras where my Great Grandfather Private George Hutton WALTON (388528) of the Royal Army Medical Corps whose was killed on 27 June 1917 at the Somme is recorded.

In early September I will be visiting Oberhausen in North Rhine Westphalia and staying with my wife at Friedendorf International’s village for whom I am seeking to raise funds and a number of events to highlight their work are planned.

The aim is to conclude the walk at the Brandenburg Gates in Berlin at 11AM on Friday 3 October which is German Unity Day.”

Friedendorf International is a medical care charity founded in Germany in 1967 and based in Oberhausen, North Rhine Westphalia. The charity provides urgent medical care for children injured through war and conflict around the world. There are currently 250 children being cared for at Friendendorf (Peace Village) from eight different countries. The stay of each patient is based on clinical need but on average it is three months. Under the terms of the agreement the child must return to their family and the family are unable to accompany the child to Germany. Friedensdorf International is approved by the German Central Insitute for Social Issues (DZI), an independent body which oversees the work of charities in Germany. The initial target is to raise £25,000.