Havant Rotary Club members recently entertained a group of children from Chernobyl at the home of Brenda Lamont. Despite the changeable weather that this year is providing us with we all had a great day. The day featured childrens entertainers, face painting, games and a barbecue.

Rotarian Mike Sellis and wife Judie have run the Portsmouth link of Chernobyl Children lifeline for 10 years and bring a group of children over eaxh year. By bringing parties of children to England for a months stay, we alleviate some of the suffering there. This period away from above normal radiation levels, reduces the winter illnesses they suffer, and their school attendance increases for the next two years.

When the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl exploded an estimated 70% of the radioactivity fell on the Republic of Belarus, (equivalent to 90 times greater than the Hiroshima bomb) the land of Belarus is now contaminated for up to one thousand years.

The effect is that their agriculture is dangerously polluted, and so they cannot find a wide market for their produce. Therefore they themselves must eat what they grow in order to survive. In their country most people have allotments and produce the food for the family, whether it is contaminated or not it is food.

Today around 1.5 million children live in the area seriously affected. Many suffer more readily from coughs, colds, stomach complaints, heart problems and various cancers particularly thyroid cancer. It has been learnt that if a child can spend a month away from the contamination this can increase their life span by up to two years.