‘I never doubted Joanne Lees’ story’
It’s fantastic that we have been recognised for addressing this gap in society leading australian police figures believe murdoch was rightly convicted
the importance of looking into the past to help people move forward. What’s unusual is just how far back she goes – in some cases centuries.
Laura, 62, is founder of the Restoration Trust. Based in Cromer, Norfolk, the National Lotteryfunded charity uses ancient British heritage sites and museums as a way to help overcome the debilitating effects of mental illness.
“Our members deal with the gamut of emotions, from low self-esteem to suicidal thoughts,” says Laura. A former textile conservator, she retrained as a mental health support worker in her 40s; she had herself once suffered from anxiety and depression.
“When I was battling poor mental health, I felt terribly lonely and under a huge amount of stress. I overcame it with the help of psychotherapy sessions.
“Some people here have had cataclysmic losses in terms of work and family. We have women who have suffered serious domestic abuse, and we also deal with people who have been homeless.
“British heritage belongs to us all, but if you’re poor or disadvantaged it’s hard to access it.
“We use what we call
‘culture therapy’ to break down these barriers. Members get out, take notice of their surroundings and share stories and advice with each other.”
The charity’s Burgh
Castle project in Great
Yarmouth includes mindfulness walks and art sessions at the
3rd-century Saxon fort.
Thanks to National
Lottery players, around £30million a week funds good causes across the UK like this one. Now Laura has been nominated for a National Lottery Award for her work keeping the charity’s services running during the pandemic.
“We have met weekly during lockdown, and we’ve been posting out creative challenges to members to keep them connected and motivated,” says Laura.
“I was delighted to discover I’d been nominated for the award. It’s fantastic that our charity has been recognised for addressing this gap in society.”
LEADING police figures who took part in the investigation 19 years into the murder of Huddersfield’s Peter Falconio have spoken out about the continuing doubts over the conviction of his killer.
In 2001 Peter, 28 and his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, 27, from Almondbury, were on the trip of a lifetime visiting major countries and cities around the world.
They were making their way to Sydney in Australia but the pair never made it back home together after Peter was shot in the dead of the night on a deserted highway in the Australian Outback.
His body has never been found and questions still linger about his death, with the case back in the spotlight once again after being examined in the Channel 4 documentary series Murder in the Outback.
Drifter Bradley Murdoch was convicted of the murder but many analysed Ms Lees who refused to play along with national media assumptions over how a recently bereaved girlfriend should behave.
Denise Hurley, media manager for Northern Territories Police in Australia, said: “When I met Joanne Lees she had clearly gone through a traumatic event and suddenly found herself at the centre of international media attention.
“I think she was trying to cope in the best way she could but that led media to criticise and be wary of her story simply because she did not break down publicly and show the emotion typically expected of a woman.
“I never doubted her story and believe Murdoch has been rightly convicted and the document does not bring forth any new evidence that is likely to reopen the case.
“It is difficult to forget the terrible impact this has had on Joanne and the Falconio family and we can only hope one day Murdoch will tell them what happened to Peter.”
Ms Lees works for Kirklees Council has made clear she does not wish to speak to the media about the events of 2001.
Former assistant commissioner John Daulby, who headed up the case, said: “There is no closure for the Falconio family and Joanne Lees as the body of Peter has not been located to date.
“That is an important fact which should not be erased and documentaries such as this are a reminder disregarding any flaws in the same.
“While my contact with Joanne was limited I have a view she is a stoic individual and probably in part a private person.
“There is no doubt she has suffered as the victim of an horrific crime and experience.
“Similarly, she has endured unjustified criticism over many years and the recent documentary was another example where a number of individuals did their best to denigrate her.
“Finally, let’s not forget the Falconio family as they are also victims of this crime and our thoughts go out to them.”