A CHURCH minister flew to Haiti on Tuesday to help with relief efforts there. A captain of Letchworth Salvation Army, Barrie Sampson is part of the charity s International Emergency Services Relief Team, and travelled to earthquake-hit Haiti with a Dutch

A CHURCH minister flew to Haiti on Tuesday to help with relief efforts there.

A captain of Letchworth Salvation Army, Barrie Sampson is part of the charity's International Emergency Services Relief Team, and travelled to earthquake-hit Haiti with a Dutch and an Australian Salvation Army officer.

"My speciality is logistics," explained the 53-year-old, of Lordship Lane in Letchworth GC.

"In Haiti it's now moving from what was a massive feeding programme to building shelters.

"I'll be making sure materials get to where they need to be.

"It's about building shelters and giving people their respectability back."

Before he left England, the father-of-two, who will work in Haiti for seven weeks, said details as to exactly where he will be working were unknown.

"The awful part is that the rainy season has just started, so I don't know where we will be able to get to," he explained. "Some roads could be impassable. Until I get there I don't know what I'm going to face."

This is Mr Sampson's fourth deployment to join relief efforts overseas. In 2003 he was sent to Iraq, in 2005 he travelled to Sri Lanka, and last year he went to Burma.

Asked his motivation to be so heavily involved in overseas aid work, he said: "It's part of my commitment as a church leader."

Mr Sampson's wife, Maria, is also a church minister at Letchworth Salvation Army and will take over her husband's responsibilities while he is away.

A CONCERT to raise money to help the people of Haiti will be held at Letchworth Free Church on Norton Way South on Saturday, April 10.

For more information, and for tickets at �5 each, call Maria on 01462 683247. Tickets will also be available on the door.