AS many take advantage of the first few weeks of the year to relax after the festive period, 59-year-old Ann Davison from Llandogo has something more challenging in mind.

In two weeks' time the mother-of-three will be travelling to the occupied Palestinian Territories of West Bank and the Gaza Strip to act as an Ecumenical Accompanier (EA) for local Palestinian residents.

In her role, Mrs Davison, who has lived in Llandogo for 20 years, will act as a peace keeper between residents and Jewish Israeli settlers.

EAs have been spending time in Palestine since 2002 and this will be the 51st group of volunteers to travel out. Mrs Davison will be working in a team of two or three, accompanying children to school past reportedly abusive settlers, and helping to keep hostilities between the groups at bay in various scenarios, including at military check points.

For three months the aid worker will be living in an as-of-yet unknown location, in a simple house or flat with no windows, working daily to help local people.

"Everything will be very different, everything will be very basic, but we just have to get on with it," said Mrs Davison, who is currently attempting to learn some Arabic and Hebrew.

She was inspired after hearing that 2014 has been named as the year of UN Solidarity with Palestinian people, accepting this as a personal challenge.

"I am a Quaker and I believe strongly in non-violence and the equal worth of all beings.

"In Quakerism, you lead your life according to your beliefs, actually putting things into practice. If you're claiming to be a witness for peace, sometimes you have to personally put yourself on the line to achieve it.

"I am not anti-Israel, but I am deeply disturbed by the impact of Israeli government policies on the Palestinian people."

Having visited Israel as a student, the community council clerk for Trellech and Mitchel Troy fell in love with the area. She will fly into Jerusalem for one week's training before travelling on to Palestine.

In the middle of her three-month stay, Mrs Davison will travel back into Israel to spend time with a local family, and to work alongside Israeli peace groups.