TWENTY children and two interpreters from Belarus and five UK helpers all had the pleasure of staying over at Macdonald Lymm Hotel recently.
The children, all aged between 7-12, had been enjoying a month long recuperative visit, called a month of love and care, in the fresh air of Scotland.
Stopping off overnight at Lymm before flying home from Manchester, was a lovely experience for the children, who all live in areas contaminated by the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, in small wooden houses, with outside toilets and a well in the street for water.
They were made to feel very welcome by the manager and staff at the hotel, they enjoyed the comfortable rooms and surroundings and made the most of the all you can eat breakfast, maybe their last big meal for some time!
The children were also given small gifts by the staff, which they were very appreciative of.
The children come for month long visits to Scotland each year for up to five years, coming back to the same host families, who they grow to love.
They arrive with a spare pair of pants and a toothbrush and go home with a full 25kg suitcase of warm clothes, medicines, vitamins, toys and things that we take for granted.
During the month they are treated to a full programme of interesting activities and also some visits to the dentist and optician.
The point of these visits is to improve their shattered immune systems and hopefully add some time on to their life expectancies and give them hope for the future. They also have a huge amount of fun.
For more information go to www.foccwestlothian.com
Picture shows manager Diane Williamson welcoming the group.
