Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
Last year at my works conference I 'won' a tandem skydive. As I am going to be throwing myself out of an areoplane I thought it would be a good idea to raise some money for a very worthy cause whilst I am doing so. The cause I am trying to raise money for is the Chernobyl Childrens Life Line Newbury and District Link , of which my family are members of , myself and my sister as aunties and my parents as a host family.
Chernobyl Children’s Life Line, is a children’s charity which was founded in 1991.
Belarus, where most of their work is focused, received over 70% of the radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear explosion in April 1986 and as a result, the country has become a zone of ecological disaster.The children of Belarus are still suffering as a result,Today, 90% of the children are still contaminated by radioactive particles in the air they breath and the food they eat which has led to a phenomenal rise in the number of children with leukaemia, tumors and thyroid cancer.
Each year we raise funds and sponsorships to bring 10 - 12 children over from Belarus for a holiday and a break from their radioactive and lead polluted environment.
The children are placed in pairs with a hosting family, who get no financial reward - the reward comes in seeing children blossom during their time in the UK.
Whilst the chilren are here the link arranges group activities and outings for the children and their host families. This gives the children the chance to interact and to be able to talk together in their own language and gives them an insight into life outside of their own country that otherwise they would not be able to have. Everyone visits the dentist and optician during their visit. From neccesity some of the cancer care in Belarus has become very advanced, however some of the dental care and equipment dates back to the 1950s!
Whilst most of the activity takes place during the childrens visit, the whole process requires lots of dedicated work throughout the year by the link committee, fund raising and planning the visit . Although a lot depends on supporters and sponsors for what we can get for free, it costs each link between £400 and £500 per child per visit.
After a stay in the UK eating fresh food and breathing fresh air the children go home with their immune systems recharged. We hope that we are helping these innocent children to become the future of their country, and taking back home with them hope and leadership for a new generation.
