You have a chance to have an impact on future research into the effects of Chernobyl…

A motion has been drafted in Europe and presented to the Council of Europe on ‘The commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl’ which will result in an indepth evaluation of the long term effects of the Chernobyl disaster on Belarus and Ukraine.

If there is not support for this motion from member countries of the Council, it will be abandoned. It was hoped that a similar motion be passed for the 20th Anniversary of Chernobyl, but nobody took on this important task. Now, 25 years after the worst nuclear accident in history, YOU have the chance to make a difference for the people in Belarus and Ukraine, who continue to live on contaminated land.

1. In order to get this important motion passed by the council, you must write to your UK representative at the Parliamentary Assembly and urge them to sign this important motion. Their names and contact details can be found here on the Council of Europe website.

2. Write an email or letter, you can use this template or not:

Dear sir/madam,

We are [name of organisationl]. We were delighted to hear that the Council of Europe has created a motion for a resolution on

“The commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl” (document 12334, 07/07/2010 by Mr. Pieter Omtzigt and others)

We believe that this initiative is crucial and must be passed. 24 years after the disaster, we are witnessing through the work that we do that;

- Belarus and the international community still do very little research into the long term effects of the disaster. However, when we visit Belarus, we see that there are still major health and socio-economic effects.

- 24 years later, children are still suffering. Recuperative holidays are organised for them and NGOs in more than 25 countries across the world.

We hope that you will support this initiative and sign the motion. At your request, we would be happy to send you details of our organisation, our work and our experiences of Belarus.

Yours sincerely,

(your name, charity name)

Please don’t delay in sending this very important letter, and urge your friends and relatives to do the same.

Thank you

CCP UK

Diabetic children from Gomel came to Britain this summer for a holiday in Buxton and Longnor. They were one of many groups who came over with CCP and had a fantastic few weeks here which gave them a break from the hot Belarusian summer (and it was a particularly hot summer this year, with temperatures often reaching 40 degrees) and a chance to enjoy outdoor activities and lots of social events with the local community.

The recuperative holidays give the children’s immune systems a break from the radiation and a chance to eat lots of fresh, clean fruit and vegetables to give their health an extra boost.

If you are interested in hosting a Belarusian child and providing an invaluable holiday for them, contact us at ccprojectuk@gmail.com or see our page about hosting on our website.

More details on the poster here

This summer, as well as sending out volunteers to the Sanatorium, a group of volunteers flew out to spend time at Zhuravichi children’s home, as many of the children do not get to go to the summer camp. They spent five days doing lots of different activities and sensory work with the younger ones,  and discos with the older children in the evenings! Two of the volunteers are physiotherapists and were able to advise staff on postural positions, stretching exercises and better feeding positions for the less mobile children. One of the volunteers will go back in September to do specific training with staff on disability awareness.

Three of the volunteers then went on Vikov home for adults with disabilities, where they could spend time with the young adults and give them lots of fun, such as singing and parachute games. They also had some time to spend with the elderly residents at Vikov, who, as you can see in this picture, enjoyed the attention just as much as the young residents!

You can see more photos from their trip by looking at our web albums.

GR 048653

Start and finish at High Ash Field Study Centre GR 048653

The 8 mile walk is a circular route taking in Hollinsclough –

Parkhouse, Glutton Bridge, Crowdecote, C/P 1 Over Boothlow,

Fairfield, Shinning Ford, and Marnishaw Head then into High

Ash

The 12 miles and the 24 mile route will both continue from

Crowdecote out to Pilsbury Castle, Hartington,Wolfescote

Dale, Dove Dale, Alstonefield*, Wetton, Thors Cave,

Butterton, Reveridge Woods, Newtown, and back to High Ash.

*All 12 mile entrants will be taken back to the start by Mini

Bus from Alstonefield.

Start time. WALKERS 0800 hrs, RUNNERS 0900 hrs.

ENTRY COST for the 10 & 22 mile walks £7.00

ENTRY COST for the 7 mile walk £5.00.

ENTRY COST on the day £10.00 for all walks

Includes, refreshments and drinks at all checkpoints around the route,

meal at the finish -

A full route description and a certificate will e issued to all entrants.

ENTRIES ON THE DAY ONLY IF SPACES LEFT.

Overnight  accommodation on Fri 4th September. Rooms with

en-suit 4/6/8 bunk beds (use own sleeping bags and towels)

Cereal, Bacon breakfast. COST £ 15.00 per person.

All CHEQUE’S  PAYABLE TO —  HILLS and DALES.

EQUIPMENT TO BE CARRIED.

Waterproofs, Mug, Torch, Whistle & MAP.

ENTRIES with S.A.E to K.G. Bailey, 2 Lulworth Grove, Chell, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, ST6 6JY

Tel   01782  815386

Teenagers from the Children’s Cancer Charity ‘Children in Trouble’ have been enjoying a wonderful summer with our Endon and Stoke group. Youlia, Yevgeny and Vitalina had just completed an afternoon’s boating at Leamington Spa to finish a weekend of camping and outdoor activities. We have children staying with groups in many parts of the country, some in remission from cancer, some with diabetes and others from villages in contaminated parts of the country. These children having a great day out at Warwick Castle are from Svetlagorsk Orphanage and are being looked after by our Solihull Group at SpringField House School in Knowle.

Our first group of volunteers have just returned from Belarus, where they had a fantastic time at the Ptich Sanatorium with children from Rechitsa and Zhuravichi boarding home. One volunteer, Emma Henley, who has now been three time, said “it was amazing and I would go back tomorrow if I could!”

The next and final group are flying out Monday 2nd August and are loaded up with art and craft supplies to see them through to the end of the camp.

A smaller group of volunteers, including two occupational therapists, are going straight to Zhuravichi orphanage with our Russian speaking volunteers, where they will spend a week with the children there who are unable to go to the camp. They will then move on and spend a week visiting residents at Vikov home for adults with disabilities. We hope they have a great time and are sure they will bring happiness into the lives of those who need it most.

Our walking fundraisers, Liam Kirkwood and Alex Walker (who is certainly living up to his name!) have already covered 450 miles since they set off on 28th June from Land’s End.

The pair have had a fantastic reception from B&B owners and supporters of CCP who have put them up for the night and fed them. They’re doing a great job of publicising the work of Chernobyl Children’s Project UK, having done several interviews and generally speaking out about the ongoing problems in Belarus caused by Chernobyl.

They still have a long way to go until they reach their final point at John O’Groats. Have a look at their blog and website to see if you might be on their route and could offer them a bed or a meal for the night! Best of luck to them both!

http://www.walk1000.co.uk

http://www.walkonethousand.blogspot.com

Inkberrow Sinfonia, at St Peter’s Church, Inkberrow, Worcs.

Programme includes variations on a Rococo theme by Tchaikovsky, performed by Rowena Calvert.