How the Trust Began.
The idea came from Bob Booth who ran the village stores in Hawkesbury Upton, South Gloucestershire. A photo from a newspaper article caught his eye. It showed the remains of two heavy boots - ripped to shreds.

Bob read of villagers living in other parts of the world under the continual threat from landmines left over from long-gone wars. The article spurred Bob into finding out more about their plight.

The United Nations estimates that there are tens of millions of mines in over 70 countries. The mines can remain dangerous for decades, blocking roads, water supplies, vital farmland, etc. In Cambodia, more than one person in 400 is now an amputee. The figure is even worse in Angola, with villagers often forced to search for firewood on land they know to be mined.

The Red Cross believes that, every month, landmines kill 800 and seriously injure 1200. They usually hit people least able to cope, in the Third World, where the already poor medical services have been made poorer by war.

Methods of Demining.
The most efficient way to clear mines is still by hand, using metal detector, prodder and gardening tools. This is slow, expensive and dangerous work.

A number of new demining machines have been promised by industry but the cost of this equipment will be high and there are questions about how well it can be operated and maintained in the third world.

Bob’s Idea.
Bob questioned whether demining could be made faster, safer and quicker. He came up with an idea. He knew that heavy rollers were used to destroy mines. These had to be very tough, and were therefore expensive. But what if the rollers were made of plastic and filled with soil, like a sandbag? They could be repairable, or cheap to replace if destroyed. Bob talked his idea over with demining experts. They could see the potential and encouraged him to test the scheme.

The Trust is Formed.
Bob chatted about the landmine problem with other folk in Hawkesbury Upton. John, a parish councillor, organised a petition for the campaign to ban landmines. The local MEP took an interest aand arranged for Bob to attend an international conference in Holland. It was decided to form a charitable trust to research and develop Bob’s lifesaving idea. John signed up as treasurer and Sam, another parish councillor, agreed to be secretary. Charlie, a local Anglican priest, agreed to be Chairman.

DEMINED’s ‘Village’ Philosophy.
New mine clearance techniques must be designed for use by Third World villagers. The technology has to be simple, rugged and adaptable to local conditions. It must be repairable in the field.

Progress to Date
For information about the progress made to date and what is planned for the future, click here.