13 June 2007
Chernobyl Children's Project
Children of Belarus to visit Knutsford
The Chernobyl Children's Project (UK) was launched in Manchester in 1995 to give holidays to children still suffering from the world's worst nuclear disaster over 20 years ago. The charity now has around 30 groups in the UK and brings around 300 children, teenagers and mothers for recuperative holidays to this country in the summer.
Many of these children are in remission from cancer, others have diabetes; some live in orphanages and others come from villages in the more contaminated parts of Belarus. All the children benefit greatly from four weeks of fresh air, good food and new experiences. They go home with boosted immune systems, new friends and happy memories.
Sarah Batty, from our own 10 am congregation, has arranged for 10 children from Chernobyl to come and stay in Knutsford in the summer. They will arrive on 16 July and will stay in pairs for 2 weeks with one family in Knutsford and 2 weeks with another in Wales.
Sarah has arranged several events to raise money for this enterprise and she will be happy to give you details. (contact via magazine editor) She has indicated that the items the children will need as they have just the clothes they stand up in and a small carrier bag of possessions.
These items include
Summer clothes and shoes, underwear and socks, nightwear, swimming costumes, armbands, sunglasses, toiletries and sun cream, hairbrushes and combs, toothbrushes and toothpaste and chewable multivitamins.
It is also hoped that some things can be given to the children for them to take back with them. These include Winter coats, hats, boots and gloves (suitable for extremely severe weather) more vitamins, photo albums, toiletries for their mothers, shaving kits for their fathers, sewing kits, small toys, pens crayons, colouring books etc.
Any of these items can be placed in the boxes at the back of church.
Posted by Julie Withers