A GROUP of children whose lives have been affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster have seen their health improve dramatically during a four-week visit to Lincolnshire.
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster in April 1986 was the worst in history and released 100 times more radiation than the atom bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
More than 350,000 people were resettled from parts of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia affected by the fallout, but 5.5 million people still remain in the area.
Health problems as a result of disaster are still rife, with a rise in thyroid cancer among children, who are also said to be shorter and weigh less than other children their age. However, they do not pose a health risk to anyone in the UK.
The Chernobyl Children Lifeline is a charity which brings children from the Chernobyl area between the ages of 7 and 15 to visit cities in the UK.
It brought five children, who are aged between 11 and 12 and all the children of firefighters, to Lincolnshire earlier this month. They are returning home today.
Jeanette Fortnum has organised fundraising and visits for the past 13 years.
She said: "The change you see in them in four weeks is really something. You see them put on weight, grow in height and see their general health improve dramatically.
"We desperately need more support. Each child costs between £450 to £470 to be flown over. We need host families to volunteer to look after them for their stay and donations of clothes and money are always welcome.
"To all the people who have supported, thank you.
"You have helped to change these children's lives and it's something they'll never forget."
They have stayed with volunteer host families and travel with a leader/translator, who is on hand throughout their stay.
Outings were arranged for the children throughout their stay, including a visit to an old fashioned sweet shop, Bransby Home for Horses, and their first sight of the sea on the Lincolnshire coast.
They also met the Lord Mayor of Lincoln and dressed in the official robes, posing for photographs.
The children also had dental and optical appointments in their first few days.
ON THE WEB: Visit www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk to find out more about the Chernobyl Children Lifeline.
