Yes... you can help, and in many ways. Contributions large or small are always gratefully acknowledged, and the charity especially welcomes anyone who feels they can join in and help these unfortunate children have the time of their lives when they visit Ayrshire.

Of course the charity would not survive without financial donations, and if you would like to contribute to the Chernobyl Children's Lifeline central fund then you can find details of how to make your donation on the contact page.

We also accept donations of clothes as the children very often only arrive with the clothes they are wearing, and more often than not these can be in a fairly poor state. When the children return to Belarus they are allowed to take up to 30kg of luggage - which is usually exploited to the full! - We generally ask for sizes from 8 to 15 years old.

Our main appeal though is for families, couples, and individuals who wish to get involved with the charity directly. Ayrshire Link is growing all the time, and quite literally the more the merrier.

We are now looking forward to welcoming another two groups of children - one at the end of October 2006 and another in February 2007. This has turned out to be our busiest year so far and we are interested in hearing from anyone who feels they could help out in both hosting and supporting roles during these visits. Maybe you could help on organised days out, or if you're a part of a community group perhaps you would like to organise an event yourself. People who would like to host but fancy dipping a toe in the water first can contact us about being a support family. If you are interested we would encourage you to make an application as soon as possible.

So what does hosting entail?
Welcoming a child into your home, caring and nurturing them as if they were your own. Providing them with nourishing food. Giving them a holiday of a lifetime, as well as benefiting their health. Life in the UK is nothing like their life back in Belarus. There is no need to over-indulge or spoil them. Allowing them to enjoy the comforts of your home and joining with the rest of the group for the organised trips out makes for a very special time for these children.

The children who come to stay with you will have been chosen for the following reasons:

• They have had cancer and are now in remission after treatment
  
• They live in one of the contaminated parts of the country
  
• They have been evacuated from a heavily contaminated area
  
• They have other related illnesses or have recently recovered from an operation
  
• They live in an orphanage (this option is only for experienced host families)
  
• Every child will have had medical clearance to travel to the UK and will pose no threat to the health of you or your family.

Please contact us if you wish to know more.