Page 34 - link magazine

34 swindonlink.com • November 2008
Swindon - Richmond - Ozarichi, Belarus. Making the lifeline connection

The name Fitton in Swindon is nowadays mostly associated with the ownership of Swindon Town Football Club,
but in an exclusive for The Link, Ros Fitton describes how her family became involved with the Swindon branch of Chenobyl Children’s Lifeline
when they lived in Wiltshire and how she is now setting up a branch in south-west London.
I first heard about CCLL when I was channel flicking on TV and watched a drama The girls who came to stay about how a family coped with
hosting children affected by the Chernobyl radiation as a result of the nuclear power station disaster in Belarus over twenty years ago.
My own children were at the age When the girls left for younger siblings all
where they could be interested in the airport we were day while their par-
hosting children so I e-mailed Gin all in tears and the ents were working in
McGiffin (chairperson of the Swin- house seemed eerily the fields. The work
don link of Chernobyl Children’s quiet for a long time of CCLL and CCIN
Life Line) and received a call almost afterwards. has had a huge impact
immediately, suggesting she came We all agreed that on Ozarichi and Gin
round and check us out. we would do the same is treated with huge
Luckily she decided we were suit- next year and host respect by the families
able and we subsequently hosted more children, but and the many officials
two girls the next summer. It was before the year was up we met because of
the most rewarding experience we had moved house this.
for the whole family, even for my to Richmond where By chance we went
20 year old daughter, who would there is no CCLL link. to visit a school in a
freely admit that she is not the most I had just finished a nearby village that
caring of people. psychology degree and had a very decrepit
Ira and Nastya were 9 and 11 was not working, so kitchen and which
years old and although they had the obvious thing to do, was hoping that Gin
very little English, it soon became with a lot of cajoling En Famille Fitton, with Ira and Nastya in the front would agree to CCIN
very easy to make ourselves un- from my children, was assistance. The head-
derstood and vice-versa. We had to set up a link in Richmond. introduce them to potential families master whom we christened ‘Big Al’
an incredibly busy and exhausting We hosted again this summer in Richmond who I thought might did not stop smiling from the mo-
month as there were lots of group and Ira and her sister Yulia came be interested in helping to set up ment we arrived even though there
events organised by Swindon CCLL for a month which was both won- a local link. was very little for him to smile about
as well as our own family activities. derful and gave me a chance to When the girls returned to Be- and I realised this would be a great
larus this year, I opportunity to work with the school
Making a food drop to a needy family. Gin McGiffin, centre, with translator Vera, Ellen and Ros Fitton
and my 16 year through CCLL in Richmond as for
old daughter some reason this school had been
went with them overlooked by the authorities.
to spend a week This gave me an added incentive
working with and on my return from Belarus
Gin in Ozarichi, I began searching for contacts in
the village with Richmond - for host families and
which Swindon people to help raise funds to bring
CCLL now has children across. It is early days
close ties, along but I am confident that there are
with two other people out there who will find the
members of the involvement with the charity as
Swindon link. rewarding as I have found it and
I had some idea will want to be a part of the link in
of what to expect its formative stages.
and some things were better and Through Andrew’s chairmanship
Swindon CyCleS some were worse. The main thing of Swindon Town FC, the club pro-
Swindon CyCleS
that struck me was how friendly vided an auction prize for Swindon
Superstore were and how much some rely on was raised.
and welcoming most of the families CCLL’s May Ball where over £7,500
I hope that next summer, amongst
the support of CCLL and also CCIN
(Chernobyl Children in Need) in other joint activities, host families
order to carry on with their lives. from Swindon and Richmond will
With 250 bikes Gin is the vice chair of CCIN gather at the club where players can
which concentrates on sustainable meet the Belarussian children.
on show projects and humanitarian aid If you know of anybody in the
the price is right within Belarus. It is a very beautiful Richmond area who might like to
country and there are no physical know more about hosting, please
the parking is free signs of the radiation. You can’t see, ask them to contact me at: ccll.
touch or smell it - but you are soon [email protected]
The choice aware of its impact on families when Another group of children from
is yours
told the statistics of how many are
in December. There are currently
Parts, treated for cancer, or the number of Belarus will be coming to Swindon
parents who are drink dependant
repairs, accessories, and therefore cannot provide ad- enough host families, but the need
is for money to pay for the flights and
back up stock equately for their children. people willing to sponsor individual
Belarus is a truly communist
Open: Mon to Sat country and most families work children in Ozarichi. Only £10 will
9am to 5.30pm incredibly hard and long hours on pay for a child’s school lunch for a
Closed Sundays collective farms for very little pay. whole month.
It was not unusual, when mak- For details mail Gin McGiffin at:
Tel: (01793) 700105 60a Beechcroft Road ing food drops, to find quite young [email protected]
Between Stratton Crossroads & Kingsdown children at home looking after even www.swindon.ccll.org.uk

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