THE club is again combining with other Lions Clubs in the south east to send aid to Gomel in Belarus As with previous appeals we are asking for shoeboxes or any small strong boxes ) of goods to be donated. Donors are asked to make up a box for a girl or boy, a family (mother and father) or a man or woman.

Please attach to the box a note of who it is designed for - in the case of a child write the age and sex. If you enclose a self-addressed envelope the recipient may like to reply as many of them are learning English.

Alternatively boxes of bulk items, such as clothing, toiletries, stationery, toys, books and educational materials can be donated.

Additionally bicycles, computers, musical instruments, sewing machines and knitting machines are welcome.

TMC Gas Power have again kindly agreed to act as a collection point.

Boxes may be taken to their workshop in Main Road, Biggin Hill, between 9am and 4.30pm from Monday to Friday until July 2. The Lions have been sending aid to Gomel for nine years.

Items sent are those many of us take for granted but are a luxury to the disadvantaged families and children in Gomel.

On April 26, 1986, the world's worst nuclear accident happened at Chernobyl in the Ukraine and a huge cloud of radioactive dust drifted across Eastern Europe and beyond.

Gomel was right in its path and a massive dose of radiation was deposited on the area.

It is estimated it could be at least 900 years before the radiation falls to a "safe" level.

Very few people in the Gomel region were totally unaffected by the nuclear fallout and many have to live with its legacy, such as leukaemia, thyroid and bone cancers, which primarily affect the children who have no choice other than to live in the environment. Additionally there are other genetic defects including sight and other health problems and it is estimated less than 20 per cent of all children in Belarus can be classed as healthy.

It is also estimated at least 10 million people within the whole fallout area will die young and many cannot work or bring up their families.

Many families knew no other life for generations than to live and work on the land, which is now so contaminated it cannot be worked and lies barren meaning their family's lives havee been destroyed, leading to depression and further sickness. Just 23 years on from the disaster, Gomel is still a relatively poor and almost forgotten part of Eastern Europe and rarely considered to be newsworthy.

It is left to charities such as ours, which continue to care, to ensure the plight of these people is not forgotten. Anyone requiring more information on the appeal or interested in finding out more about the largest and most active voluntary service organisation in the world can visit bigginlions.2ya.com or call Malcolm Lowing on 01959 576628.