Friends of Chernobyl's Children

 Each summer Friends of Children of Chernobyl (FOCC) bring groups of children over to the UK for a month to undergo health checks and take part in a range of educational and fun activities.  Once on the programme they visit once a year for five years staying with a host family.  It is expected that this period of respite has the potential to increase their life expectancy by up to ten years.  

For the last three years GEARS+in partnership with the Hovercraft Club of Great Britain (HCGB) have delivered a fun filled day of activities at Magnoll's Farm in Oswaldtwistle, courtesy of Charlie Peach.  This now annual event is challenging and rewarding and involves all of the GEARS+ team plus volunteers.   Activities keeping the children entertained this year included hovercraft rides, giant snakes and ladders, giant connect 4, mudblasters, quad bike rides, scooters and bicycles.  A thankyou goes to Clifton PRU for letting us borrow the giant games. 

New additions to the activities this year included badge making and a smoothie bike.  The smoothie bike is a static bicycle with a blender attached to the back so that when you peddle the blender turns.  Unfortunately there were some technical difficulties with the smoothie bike but due to Trish's quick thinking the youngsters still got their smoothies.

For lunch burgers, hotdogs, drinks and chocolate bars were provided by Marie's snack van (07724417884).  Marie has supported the event for the last two years and even managed a ride on a hovercraft last year.

Workers from FOCC watch with longing as the children whiz around the race circuit on the hovercraft, so as a special treat this year Mike King brought out his Formula 1 racing craft, in which for once he behaved quite sedately, and took the workers who were brave enough for a spin. 

Our number 1 volunteer for this event, Abi King aged 7, soon made friends with the children and encouraged them to try everything on offer. 

 After lunch and some more activities everybody congregated in the barn where Trish Bartlett (GEARS+ CEO) and Granville Spedding (HCGB) handed out goody bags to the youngsters as a momento of their visit.  Each of the groups had brought presents for the organisers and the youngsters thanked everybody in English and sang a song.

When everyone had departed it was time for the staff and volunteers to enjoy some downtime before leaving for the weekend. Special thanks go to Dave Eccleston Operations Manger for helping to pull the day together, GEARS+ volunteers Mike and Julie King, Brenda Neale, Jilly Earp, Nadine Allen and Josh Vella and special help from Steph, Cardin and Dan. HCGB members Granville Spedding, Jeff Green, Franklin Newton, Bob Clegg, and not forgetting Charlie Peach for his ongoing support.

The pictures will be in available in the gallery shortly.