Trip of a lifetime for Chernobyl children

The nine to 12-year-olds from Belarus smiled and chattered excitedly as they marvelled at the new sights and sounds of Tesco Extra in Battlefield, Shrewsbury.

But they appeared slender and pale in contrast with the county children reluctantly accompanying parents around the supermarket while the summer holiday sun shone down outside.

To local children, trips to the seaside, ice skating and adventure parks are all part of the six-week break from school - but they are firsts for the youngsters from Chernobyl.

The group of 11 children are in Shropshire for a month in a bid to boost their immune system weakened by the aftermath of the world's worst nuclear disaster when the Chernobyl power plant exploded in 1986.

The explosion caused the spread of radioactive substances across Ukraine, Belarus and further into Europe and saw several people die of acute radiation sickness. Thousands more have been affected by other health conditions linked to the fire in the plant's nuclear reactor in the intervening years, such as thyroid cancer.

Shropshire Link is the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin arm of the national Chernobyl Child Life Line (CCLL) registered charity formed in 1992.

The charity provides support to some of the children of Belarus and the Ukraine who are affected by radioactive contamination, the resultant health problems, the political disruption following the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, and ongoing social issues in these countries.

The main activity undertaken by the Shropshire Link is each year to offer the opportunity of respite, a vision of a better life, good healthy food, clean air, and the chance of a holiday of a lifetime to a group of these disadvantaged children during a four-week visit to Shropshire.

The children stay with host families and each day are taken on trips of a lifetime which county children take for granted.

The children have been camping in Church Stretton, where they explored the rolling hills of the Long Mynd at Cardingmill Valley. They went ice-skating for the first time at Telford Ice Rink before having a picnic on the grass in Telford Town Park. And they were treated to a party with a buffet and disco at the Saddlers Pub in Reabrook, Shrewsbury.

There is more high-energy fun awaiting them along the rest of their trip, when they visit Condover Hall Activity centre and PGL at Boreatton Park in Baschurch.

Next they will feast their eyes on creatures great and small at the West Midland Safari Park in Bewdley, near the Shropshire border.

Interpreter Sasha Maliuha said: "They are greatly enjoying the visit. You can see by their faces. They say that they feel like staying for a longer time."

Katyia Kravchenko, 12, said her favourite activity so far had been the disco.

"I am staying with Laura and she has been like my big sister," she said.

"Everything has a real wow factor for them because it's an entirely new experience," said Jane Elliott, chairman of the Shropshire link to Chernobyl Children's Life Line.

"It's a massive culture shock for them," she said. "Everything they eat, drink, breathe and touch is highly contaminated.

"Where they are from there are only little shops they won't have ever seen a major supermarket like this."

The children were spellbound by the tills and scanners and learned about Tesco's farm to fork food journey. Next stop was a visit to the Tesco optician in store.

Mrs Elliott said: "They've all had eye tests and will be going to the dentists because the radiation attacks the eyes and saliva glands. Their immune systems are quite low so they catch colds easily. "We are going to go to the coast because the salt air improves their throat problems. They have never seen the sea before. All the host families say it takes them a week to settle down because it's all so different but they are great kids.

"We fundraise all year for a group of children to come over for four weeks to boost their immunity. These children live 30 minutes from Chernobyl itself. In 1991 their town of Narodichi in northern Ukraine was evacuated and they are slowly trying to move back there."

Michelle Lewis, service manager at Tesco, said: "I just feel privileged to be involved with this project. It's the third year we've done it. My canteen staff have given up their own time to make cakes for the children. It's nice to do something part of our community promise.

"We've been explaining our farm to fork initiative about where food comes from and how it ends up in our stores. And we've given them seeds to grow because ours are more robust. Seeds in their country are difficult to grow because the ground is contaminated but ours are a bit stronger."

To find out more about the Shropshire Link of the Chernobyl Children's Life Line visit www.ccll.org.uk or call chairman Jane Elliott on 07846 172750.