A summer of friendship and fun, in Belarus and Britain • Home, sweet home • We need your support!

Foster care programme • Humanitarian aid deliveries • Gomel Children's Hospice

Calendars and Christmas cards • London 10km Road Race • In memory

A summer of friendship and fun

Ira and Greesha

Nazar and Helena Walker

Yanna at Oasis Wildlife Park

Boys in Solihull enjoy a summer evening

... in Belarus

This year’s holiday at Neman Sanatorium was the best yet for the children of Zhuravichi. Eighty children who live in the orphanage in the north of Gomel Region enjoyed three weeks of sunshine, art and craft activities, games, sports and visits to the river.
The children’s disabilities include cerebral palsy, Downs syndrome, autism, learning difficulties and deafness. Twenty volunteers, many of them medical students from Birmingham and Manchester, worked hard to involve all the children in as many new experiences as possible.
Glenda Tracey, from Littleborough spent much of her time working with Ira, who was overjoyed to be taking part in the holiday this year. Ira is fourteen years old, but because of her very severe physical disabilities she has never been allowed by the medical staff at the orphanage to take part in the holiday. We were always told that she was too delicate and it would be dangerous for her, but this year we finally managed to get permission for her to come. Ira had a fabulous time, learning to paint by mouth and enjoying every minute of being with the other children and joining in their games after being confined to a cot for much of her life.
Gwenda Meredith from Lancaster organised many wonderful art activities for the children, and one of the highlights of the holiday was a puppet show, a skilful blend of Mr. Punch and Petrushka, which held the children spellbound.
The children particularly loved to spend time playing by the river. Nazar was delighted to splash in the water with Helena Walker.

... and in Britain

Manchester and Birmingham Airports once again generously welcomed our Belavia flights for the Summer Holiday. Twenty five groups hosted children - some from poor village schools, diabetic children, brothers and sisters of children with disabilities and teenagers in remission from cancer.
West Yorkshire Scouts provided a great fortnight of activities and camp fires for a group who went on to stay in Leeds.
Eight deaf children stayed in Teifi Valley and were given assessments and new hearing aids from the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. Children with Aplastic Anaemia who had never been allowed to go abroad before, came with their doctor and enjoyed an active and happy holiday in Blantyre.
Ten year old Slava from Hoiniki had a confidence boosting operation on his ‘lazy’eye at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Yanna from Gomel received superb care from the doctors at Manchester Children’s Hospital for an endocrinological problem.
Many of the children received dental treatment and some were provided with glasses. But above all they had an enjoyable holiday, made many friends tried new experiences, and returned to Belarus feeling stronger, healthier and more optimistic for the future. And as for the host families, several of them told us they had just enjoyed two of the best weeks of their lives.