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AIBU?

to shout out a MASSIVE thankyou to Alton Towers and MNHQ?

14 replies

ilove · 10/06/2011 08:44

I run a branch of a charity, I didn't run it until recently when it was dropped into my lap at short notice.

Basically, we bring over disadvantaged and not-so-healthy children from Belarus, who have lived their lives under the shadow of the Chernobyl bomb. These kids have spent their lives eating food contaminated with radiation, and the rates of childhood cancer over there are 75%. live births currently 80% are born either with a physical deformity, or with cancer.

So the charity brings children in groups of 10, with an interpreter, to the UK for four weeks over the summer, and these kids stay with host families in pairs for a fortnight at a time and are looked after, fed, loved and clothed by these families who often take time from their own annual leave at work to do so.

We rely totally on volunteers and companies to donate days out or trips for these children, and I asked MNHQ if they could help.

The fantastic team have managed to come up trumps for me, and Alton Towers have given us 5 x 4-person FAMILY PASSES to go this summer - I'm so, so thrilled!

Thankyou so much to Freja at Alton Towers - you are an absolute star, as of course are the team behind the scenes here. I never expected anything so fantastic for the children, and I cannot wait to see their faces!

Our charity is here //www.chernobylchildrenleeds.co.uk

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PinotGrigiosKittens · 10/06/2011 09:09

:) :) :)

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ChaosTrulyReigns · 10/06/2011 09:18

MNHQ you are stars.

Smile

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ExitPursuedByAKitten · 10/06/2011 09:51

Wonderful - Hope they have a fabulous time.

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QuoththeRaven · 10/06/2011 10:46

aw lovely. well done! hope they have a wonderful time!

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quirrelquarrel · 10/06/2011 10:53

That's fantastic- well done to everyone involved!

Also esp. to you OP.

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ilove · 10/06/2011 13:04

Thanks everyone!

Just managed to get the school my young ones go to to agree to hold a non-uniform day for us on the last week of term which will hopefully raise some cash to go with the tickets to get them all an ice cream/McFilth etc :)

I just cannot imagine sending my 10 year old thousands of miles away, to strangers, for a whole month, with people she doesn't know, in order for her to live a few years longer free of cancer...makes me cry. Yet these parents put their faith and trust in us.

I had a message from teh Gomel office with the details of the children - the last line said simply "thankyou for looking after our children"

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cottonreels · 10/06/2011 13:24

Fab charity - just looked at the website and sent an email offering to be a host family...
Thanks for posting.

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ilove · 10/06/2011 13:25

Where are you Cotton?

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cottonreels · 10/06/2011 13:27

cotswolds/gloucestershire

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wannaBe · 10/06/2011 13:30

excellent. but.

why is this in ibu?

Hmm

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SamsGoldilocks · 10/06/2011 13:31

Like a lot

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ilove · 10/06/2011 13:38

I stuck it in here so it won't vanish after 90 days :)

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ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 10/06/2011 13:45

Contact legoland etc too, legoland gave us 9 free passes a while back

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ilove · 10/06/2011 13:58

ok I will - there's a Legoland in Manchester isn't there now?

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