CHILDREN born with health problems caused by the Chernobyl Disaster have been given free eye-tests and at an opticians in Malvern.

Holland Opticians, on Graham Rd, provided the service to four Belarusian children, who have been staying with host families from across the area for the past two weeks.

The children, aged between ten and eleven, are from David Gorodok in southern Belarus.

The trip has been organised by the Malvern and District Link of the charity Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline, which provides annual month-long breaks to the UK to give the children a boost to their weak immune systems.

Holland Opticians has welcomed groups of Chernobyl Children for several years and, along with an eye test, free pairs of glasses were also given out to those who needed them.

Partner and optometrist Kirsty Litherland said: “As these children do not get regular eye tests at home, it was an absolute pleasure to host them in our practice again.

“I think we can sometimes take an eye test for granted in this country, but for them it’s so important. The children were all incredibly friendly and excited to be here.

“It’s always such a rewarding and humbling experience, especially if we’ve managed to help them have clearer vision and healthier eyes.”

Ruth Lucas, vice chair of CCLL Malvern and District Link said: “The children come from a relatively poor area in Belarus with limited availability to eye tests.

“Their eyesight is an incredibly important thing, especially for their education so it’s a great thing that Holland Opticians do.

“The staff are always so lovely and welcoming and it’s great to see that people in the area care so much to give their time, effort and money to helping these children."

Young people are still affected by the disaster that occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine in 1986, as thousands of children in Eastern Europe are born every year with, or go on to develop, conditions such as thyroid cancer, bone cancer and leukaemia.

Belarus was worst affected, with a northerly wind meaning over 60 per cent of the radiation landed on Ukraine’s neighbour.

The Chernobyl Children's Lifeline organises recuperative trips to the UK for children and their families, with over 46,000 families helped since 1992.

For more information on the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline, visit: www.ccll.org.uk