Friends of Chernobyl's children

charity fashion show and clothing sale held at Thomas Estley Community College in Broughton Astley on Saturday 17th April raised £1,000.00 in aid of Friends of Chernobyl's Children (Markfield).

The evening was sponsored and photographed by Commercial Photographer of the Year, Ian Pickering Photography of Sharnford. Ladies from the local Rosemary Conley slimming club franchise and students of Thomas Estley Community College took to the catwalk to model a range of garments from major High Street fashion retailers that were provided by Smarty's Ltd of Welford on Avon. Local home shopping company Pink Confetti were also in attendance on the night providing a range of accessories, shoes and jewellery that went down particularly well with the ladies in the audience.

A Prize Draw on the night contributed £200 of the total raised with prizes donated by Ian Pickering Photography, Astley Fayre Occasional Dress Hire, Rejuvenate Beauty Salon and AES Shopfronts Ltd.

FOCC (Markfield) is affiliated to national charity FOCC GB (Patron Nick Park of Wallace & Gromit fame. Registered Charity No. 1113197). The aim of the charity is to bring orphans and disadvantaged children whose lives have been blighted by the legacy of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster to the UK for a month-long respite holiday with volunteer host families. The belief is that a month in the UK breathing clean air, eating uncontaminated food and receiving medical care boosts the children's immune systems, improves their self esteem and prolongs their life expectancies.

Last year the charity was able to raise sufficient funds to bring a group of ten 7-8yr old children from Mogilev in Belarus to stay with local families in Leicestershire and the visit provided the children with the holiday of a lifetime. As part of a 5-year programme, the aim is to raise enough funds to be able to bring all of the children back to stay with their host families again this summer.

For further information on the charity and the Family Hosting Project, please contact
Charity Co-ordinator Hilary Braime on (01530) 263308
e-mail hbraime@btinternet.com or visit www.focc.org.uk

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