BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

15/03/2007

Pupils join aid trip to Belarus

By Steve Mather

Chernobyl 2000 is preparing for its annual visit to Belarus to take aid to children and families still affected by nuclear fallout.

The group was set up by Church Lench couple Mike and Mo Worton, who will be heading a 30-strong team accompanied by children and staff from Bredon Hill Middle School.

The convoy of seven vehicles will also transport around 75 tonnes of aid.

It will leave from the school on Thursday, March 29, and the volunteers will visit a school, hospital and orphanage in the 12 days they are away.

Bredon Hill Middle School pupils have been collecting and donating toiletries that will be given to the families that need them most.

Science teacher Rob Wells said: "We're taking over a lot of aid including around 800 bars of soap and 300 bottles of shampoo, as well as some art and drawing materials for the school. Three members of staff and six pupils are coming along and we'll be staying with families in Uzda and the capital, Minsk.

"I've been there before and the people there are just so pleased that someone has come to see them. It's a very humbling experience."

Cherbobyl 2000's Mike Worton is also pleased with how preparations are progressing. He said: "We're very busy at present with getting everything ready for the trip. We're taking over clothes, bedding, hospital equipment, computers, hand tools and domestic appliances.

"We've rescued a lot of the items from landfill. We were given 25 pallets of new office equipment because a company was having a re-fit, without us that would have just been put out as waste."

Source:

http://www.eveshamjournal.co.uk/news/ejnewslatest/display.var.1261592.0.pupils_join_aid_trip_to_belarus.php