On Wednesday July 31 His Worship hosted a reception for 18 children from Belarus who were enjoying a four-week stay in the Island organised by Friends of Chernobyl’s Children (FOCC) (Isle of Man).

Since 2000 FOCC (IOM) has been arranging stays in the Island for disadvantaged children affected by the radiation explosion from the nuclear plant in Chernobyl in April 1986. The children stay with host families, receive health care checks and are taken by volunteer helps on trips to places of interest.

Accompanying the children were interpreters Natasha Barabanova and Olga Sapunova who said: The children’s four-week stay in the Isle of Man is very beneficial. For the ones visiting for the first time everything’s so new and very different. The food, for example, and this year it was the first time some of the children had been in a swimming pool, which they experienced at King William’s College.

‘The clean fresh air of the Island helps to build up the children’s immune system and, over the four weeks, you can see them flourish, their skin colour changing from pale to a healthier glow. And when they get back to Belarus many of the parents tell us they can see how their children’s health issues aren’t quite so bad, so we’re really grateful to everyone for making these stays possible.’

The Mayor with Yanna Vinarskaya

His Worship gave the children and their volunteer helpers a tour of the Council chamber, outlined the history of Douglas Corporation before it became Douglas Borough Council and provided some of his young guests with an opportunity to try on the Mayor’s chain of office.

Interpreter Olga Sapunova

Daniil Drozdor

Zhenya Shitikov

Yanna Vinarskaya

Kira Popova

To find more about FOCC (IOM) click here.