/> Ten sick children from the Belarus region of Russia, which received over 70% of the fallout from the accident, will be visiting the UK in June and, thanks to the generosity of MYDATA, will be able to enjoy fun in and around the water at Ellingham Waterski and Wakeboard Club, near Bournemouth.

“These children have no choice but to live with contamination all around them,” said Jason Gross of MYDATA, “and, not surprisingly, their health is badly affected. Every year, Chernobyl Children’s Life Line arranges for ten of these children to visit Britain for a respite break, and MYDATA is proud to be able to help ensure that they have a good time while they are here. British children take for granted the opportunity to swim in clean, unpolluted water, but that’s something totally unknown to the visiting children.”

According to Chernobyl Children’s Life Line, because the children who come to Britain live in a “clean” environment during their stay, and because they eat food that is free from contamination, doctors in some of the cancer hospitals in Belarus believe that the one-month visits extend the lives of the children who make them by up to two years.

Some 43,000 children from Belarus have now visited Britain since the programme started in 1992. During their visits, the children stay with sponsor families, and they receive medical attention that includes dental care and eye tests.