A kind-hearted volunteer has completed a successful mission to help struggling farmers in the Middle East.

Linda Rooney, 66, from Halstead, was one of 16 people who signed up to a week in Palestine to help during the harvest season.

Ms Rooney was instrumental in helping get the olives off trees and ensuring all crops were harvested in time.

Farmers in Palestine are only giving a certain time period to access their land for harvesting and are often left at the mercy of volunteers to help them finish on time.

During her stay, Ms Rooney, who is a speech and language therapist, also got the chance to visit a Palestinian refugee camp in Bethlehem as well as the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, which has recently become a subject of international concern as it is facing destruction by the Israeli authorities.

Upon her arrival back in the UK, she said: "I travelled to Palestine back in 1995 as a volunteer, training local professionals in communicating with children with disabilities; the experience had a significant impact upon me.

"I am very grateful for having had opportunity to return with Embrace the Middle East to support the Palestinian community, a cause I care deeply about.”

The week-long trip had been organised by UK charity, Embrace the Middle East, which helped the planting of almost 2,000 olive trees in Palestine last year.

To find out more about the charity's work, visit embraceme.org.