A VISIT to the acrobatics centre in Horsell proved a non-stop session of smiles and laughter for children suffering the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear power station disaster.

Prime Acrobatics invited Friends of Chernobyl’s Children Woking (FOCC Woking) to their state-of-the-art centre at Heather Farm for a second year.

Twelve children on a visit from the contaminated region of Belarus, still severely impacted by the Chernobyl explosion, enjoyed a fun session including trampolining, trapeze, tightrope walking, beam and parachute games.

“Just to give them our time, when you can see how much it means to them, the excitement and big grins on all their faces was priceless,” said Katie Potts, a senior coach at Prime Acrobatics.

FOCC Woking brings Belarusian children on a month-long visit, giving their immune systems a chance to detoxify in a clean environment. The visits include a school program on weekdays of education and fun activities.

“The coaches encouraged everyone to try something different. Smiles, laughter with lots of ‘have a go’ attitude was clear evidence of a fantastic session,” said Karen de Snoo, co-ordinator of FOCC Woking. “As an added bonus, professional chef Claudia Nocci provided delicious handmade treats afterwards."

The charity is always looking for more support to help with future visits. For more details of their work and how you can get involved, visit www.woking-focc.org.uk or www.facebook.com/FOCCWoking, or call 07798 848125.

For the full story get the 27 June edition of the News & Mail