Rail operator London Midland donated free travel so that youngsters affected by the Chernobyl disaster could enjoy summer day trips.
Ten children from villages in Belarus have been enjoying treats including a day on the river and visits to restaurants and popular tourist attractions as part of a recuperative break in the Midlands.
The youngsters have been staying in Malvern, in Worcestershire, thanks to the kindness of families in the area. Families host two children as part of the Chernobyl Children Lifeline charity’s work.
This is the seventh year the Malvern committee has hosted a visit, with 10 youngsters arriving each year.
The children received travel passes to Birmingham for a visit to the Sea Life Centre and passes to visit Worcester for a trip on the River Severn and to see the Cathedral.
London Midland commercial director Alex Hynes said: “We were keen to help and hope the children have had a wonderful time visiting the Midlands. It was a chance for them to relax and forget some of the difficulties back home.”
Malvern group committee member, Rev Jim Knights, said: “We’ve had great feedback from the families back home. They say the children return refreshed and healthier and willing to help out in the garden!”
Belarus, where the charity’s work is focused, received 70% of the radioactive fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear explosion in April 1986 and as a result, thousands are born every year or go on to develop thyroid cancer, bone cancer and leukaemia.
