MO Mowlam may have a lot of persuading to do in the coming weeks, but it was clear, on her third visit to the town, that she had already captured the hearts of the people of Warrington.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland received cheers, hugs and kisses as she moved among the crowd with her characteristic warmth and spontaneity.

Her visit came at the end of a week in which the peace process entered yet another crucial stage, with the murder of human rights activist Rosemary Nelson and a political stand-off over decommissioning.

But Dr Mowlam said the tireless work of ordinary people, as exemplifed by the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Trust, was an enormous help to her when she went to the negotiating table.

"The political problems we face, whether they be decommissioning, formation of the executive, or others we may face in the future, are all about confidence and trust between people," she told the GUARDIAN.

"If people in Warrington can show that they can climb over their grief about what was done to the children of their town, then others can do the same. This centre will be a symbol on the world stage and a testament to what communities can achieve," she added.

The minister has actively supported the campaign since last March, when she attended a memorial service in Bridge Street and challenged the Trust to raise £1 million for the centre.

Now, as work commences on a £2.5 million building, Dr Mowlam believes the project has achieved a balance between remembrance and hope for the future.

She said: "The success of this project shows a determination by the families and by the community as a whole to remember those who have suffered, but also to build for the future, not to live in the past."

The centre was a fitting monument because it highlighted the vital role future generations had to play in building a lasting peace, she added.

Said Dr Mowlam: "Children are our future. When people manage to engage across the divide and communicate, they realise they don't want another generation to go through what they've been going through for the last 30 years. No other family wants to go through what Rosemary Nelson's family is now going through.

"Teenagers in Northern Ireland that I talk to aren't brought up in the same way as they were 30 years ago - they think and see things differently, and that's what's important."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.