CHILDREN who are affected by the legacy of the Chernobyl disaster were treated to a day out as part of a recuperative holiday in Yorkshire.

Youngsters from Belarus are in the UK to give their immune systems a break from the contamination that is still present in their homeland 30 years after the devastating nuclear accident.

Otley Lions Club treated a group of them to a day out at the Forbidden Corner near Leyburn last week. The trip was organised as part of the Chernobyl Children's Project Recuperative Holiday Programme. Otley Lions have supported the scheme for the past three years, with trips to Scarborough and the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster.

Joining the group on this year's trip were Otley Lions president, Eric Booth, and his wife, Jennifer.

A group spokesman said: "The recuperative holidays benefit children from Belarus considerably, by building up their immunity.

"Generation upon generation continue to be affected following the nuclear power station disaster in 1985, as the ground will continue to be irradiated for many thousands of years.

"During their stay, which is over four weeks with two host families, the children also receive dental and eye examinations and parcels of clothing to take home to their families. CCP Leeds is one of several branches in Britain that offer recuperative holidays to approximately 400 children annually, and they are always looking for additional host families."

The Chernobyl Children's Project website stresses the importance of recuperative holidays.

"Doctors in Belarus say this boosts the children’s immune systems for at least two years, helping them to resist, or recover from, serious illness," it states.

"In the summer, when the dust causes radiation levels to rise, it is important for as many children as possible to leave their contaminated homeland for a few weeks of fresh air and clean food. It can also significantly reduce the amount of radioactive caesium that has built up in a child’s body."

Chernobyl Children’s Project (UK) brings hundreds of children to Britain each summer for a recuperative holiday. It also organises holidays in clean parts of Belarus for children whose disabilities make it difficult for them to travel.

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