Caldicot charity ready for Chernobyl mission
21 Aug 2007
When Marcia Doyle heard about the horrors that befell the people of Belarus as a result of the Chernobyl explosion 21 years ago, she didn’t just – like the rest of us, perhaps – make a donation to charity in the hope that it would help the affected communities to recover.
Discovering that a fellow Catholic church member living in Cardiff was ‘adopting’ for a year no fewer than 10 Belarusian children suffering from the after-effects of the nuclear reactor explosion, Marcia – who already had six children of her home – volunteered to open the door of her Caldicot home to a further six.
In the same year, 1986, she set up the Victims of Chernobyl charity, and has ever since not only been giving the children somewhere to stay on a break in a cleaner and healthier environment, but also travelling out to Ukraine with essential supplies for orphanages and children’s homes.
Local employer Corus has been one of Marcia’s supporters for many years, and recently donated £1,500 to the charity towards cost of hiring a van and small lorry to transport supplies across Europe.
Last year, Llanwern Works Manager Steve George obtained dozens of packs of bulk washing powder and disposable nappies for the trip east.
“Marcia’s determination to help these children is inspirational,” said Corus Community Spokesman Keith Farron. “Her garage and spare room are piled high with supplies to go out there and she makes sure the youngsters enjoy every minute of their breaks in Newport.
“Corus is obviously only too pleased to help a charity undertaking such an important commitment. When the nuclear power plant in Chernobyl exploded, 70% of its radioactive dust fell on Belarus, severely contaminating all the area. Ironically, Belarus doesn't have a single nuclear power plant on its territory.”
Marcia, her husband x, and 12 other volunteers are travelling to Belarus on September 15, when they will visit hospitals, orphanages, children’s homes and schools.
”Even now after 20 years, nuclear contamination still exists in Belarus and is causing all sorts of severe life threatening health problems, especially for the children,” said Marcia. “Most of them are unwell, with radiation-related diseases.
“When they come to Britain, they have clean air, good food and get to go to the seaside and ride horses – they do everything normal children over here get to do, but which they wouldn’t in Belarus.”
Marcia, who is also a founder of St Anne’s Hospice in Newport and now a grandmother of 16, added: “Corus has helped us for many years. This £1,500 will also go towards a new pacemaker for a little boy who has grown to be 6ft 1ins tall at the age of just 13.”
Friends of Chernobyl is currently raising money towards the provision of a lift for one of the orphanages in Belarus.
Anyone who is able to make a donation towards this, or towards the September mission, is asked to contact Marcia on 01291 422694.
