Summer highlights • New vidoes available this autumn • A holiday they will never forget!
Thank you, Gus • Aid to Belarus • New life for Ira • The Mayflower Centre • Calendars and cards

Twenty two volunteers from Britain gave their time and energy this Summer to enable nearly 100 children with disabilities to have a fantastic holiday at Neman Sanatorium, near the Belarussian/Polish border. Most of the children were from Zhuravichi Orphanage and others came from Rechitsa Boarding School for children with cerebral palsy.
Glenda Tracey, from Littleborough, had spent months before hand gathering equipment and play materials, and some of these were sent ahead by truck in June. Painting was a favourite activity for many of the children.
Stas, who lives at Rodni House in Rogachev, enjoys painting his face as well as the paper.
One to one contact with the children is just as important as group activities. The carers rarely get time to give the children such attention at Zhuravichi. Natasha has a cuddle with six year old Vika
Helena Walker, liaising between volunteers and carers, was delighted to find that the carers were far more enthusiastic about joining in with the activities this year. After the holiday, Ellen Charlton from Blantyre and Louise Weller from the Loyne School in Lancaster, spent a week at Zhuravichi working particularly with the cot bound and autistic children and giving training sessions to some of the carers, which were enthusiastically received.
All the volunteers raised the money to cover their air fares and Joy Henderson from Gloucester, raised £1,000 with a sponsored walk and a coffee morning. Once again, many of the volunteers were medical or physio students from Birmingham and Manchester. The physios fitted ‘pedro’ boots for some of the children and next year we will send many more of these special shoes for children with cerebral palsy.
Most evenings there was a disco, which usually took place outside, and this was always greatly enjoyed by both children and volunteers. Denise Charlton, from Blantyre is pictured here dancing with Sasha.
Sasha, Greesha and Liena, the young adults who live in our ‘Family Home 2000’ took part in the holiday and enjoyed helping out with the young children. Sasha is pictured below splashing ten year old Anton from Rogachev, who came to the sanatorium with his grandma, Katya, one of the carers from Rodni House.
Our Fairy Godmother company, KeyMed, were once again the main sponsors of this holiday. We can never thank them enough for all they do for us. And we received a superb £1,000 donation raised by the children of Lancasterian School in Manchester.We bought musical instruments, paints and craft materials, sports equipment and toys and games, and we still have money left for Special Needs support in Belarus.

Sasha and Anton

Stas

Natasha has a cuddle with six year old Vika

Denise Charlton dancing with Sasha