A vicar in Oldham has been appointed as the new Chair of Trustees of a British charity which helps affected families in Palestine.

The Reverend Canon Daniel Burton, who works as Vicar of Oldham in the Diocese of Manchester, is the new Chair of Trustees for Action around Bethlehem Children with Disability (ABCD Bethlehem).

The charity looks to improve the lives of children with disabilities across Palestine, regardless of faith, gender or race.

Canon Burton became a trustee of ABCD in 2016 and has helped to develop the charity in recent years, including overseeing the emergency response to the current crisis in the region.

He said: “I am grateful for the opportunity given to me by the trustees to lead the organisation into the next chapter of its history.

"I’m excited about the role and fully committed to helping the charity to continue the vital role it plays for vulnerable families of disabled children in the Occupied Palestinian Territories OPTs.

"However, I’m also aware of the challenges that lie ahead in being able to adapt our services to respond to the current crisis (and its inevitable aftermath), as well as engaging existing and new supporters of the charity to ensure donations reach the level needed to fund and equip rehabilitation centres, as well as recruit and train the best therapists."

ABCD Bethlehem has been able to respond with extra emergency funds of £50,000 for Palestine following donations in recent months, helping to deliver trauma therapy, rehabilitation programmes, food parcels, essential medication needs and nappies for families who have been affected.

Canon Burton has a history of working in the voluntary sector, as well as first-hand experience of the challenges often faced by people living in the Middle East and Palestine. 

Between 1986 and 1988, he worked as a volunteer in a children's home in Ramallah, with his time there coinciding with the outbreak of the first Palestinian Intifada in December 1987.

From 1992 to 2012, Canon Burton was a trustee of BibleLands, now known as Embrace the Middle East, serving as Vice Chair and Chair of Trustees from 2003 to 2009.

In his capacity as a charity trustee and as an ordained Anglican priest, Canon Burton has also led numerous pilgrimages to the region including to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt, but most often to Israel and Palestine.

In 2011 and 2014, he led pilgrimages there for the Diocese of Manchester.

Canon Burton added: "I am sad to say that the work of ABCD Bethlehem is more necessary today than at any point in its four-decade long history – and it is likely to be much-needed for the foreseeable future.

"To help future-proof the charity for generations to come, we are currently reviewing our strategic priorities but we hope to expand our work to more refugee camps and to offer respite facilities for families caring for children with disabilities."