Funds Raised for Children from Belarus
Chiswick visit could add two years to their lives
Over £1,000 was raised last Saturday at coffee mornings and a stall for Chernobyl Children Life Line (CCLL) West London Link. The charity is raising funds for the visit of children from areas of Belarus affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. They will be staying with local families between the 10th July and 7th August. They would like to thank the Chiswick shops and people who have donated goods and services.
Children from Belarus on a previous visit
The CCLL charity was formed to help the children of Belarus. There are now around 146 Links throughout the country, run by volunteers, who raise funds to bring groups of children to the UK for a month of respite. The West London Link was formed in 2008 and aims to bring children to the area every summer. The charity pays over £300 to bring a child to the UK and also helps families to provide for the children while they are over here.
The aim is to help these children by boosting their immune systems and offering them respite from the relentless bombardment of radiation. For the children lucky enough to come to the UK, it is the trip of a lifetime. It is estimated that a month staying with a host family here, eating nourishing food, resting from the radiation, and breathing clean air can add 2 years to their life expectancy. The group leader goes to Belarus to choose the most needy children. This year they will be 11, 12 and 13. The children have a full programme - all given freely by places such as Kew, The Wetlands Centre, John Lewis and the children of the host families take part in the outings too.
The first year the children visited this part of the UK was in 2009. Southfield school gave them a very enjoyable day of games and art and the last Head hosted two children. The charity has also been helped by the Chiswick Horticultural Society members at the Duke's Meadows allotments. The children always enjoy Duke's Meadows and Southfield play parks.
lf you are interested in being a host family or helping to fundraise to bring children to the UK, please contact: Ros Fitton, Chairman of the CCLL West London Link
rosfitton@hotmail.co.uk
May 20, 2011