TWO women fromMonmouthshire are preparing for a 26 mile walk to raise money for children suffering the continuing effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power meltdown.

Lynsey Young and Danja Gosto Kyte are walking from Newport to Lydney, aiming to raise money for Friends of Chernobyl’s Children (FOCC), a charity that brings children from Belarus to England for respite from the radiation that still makes the area surrounding Chernobyl so dangerous today.

The charity takes children from the area and brings them to England, providing healthcare, clothing and medication for the duration of their stay and the remainder of the year. Host families take care of the children over a four week period, while the charity organises daily activities and medical checks.

Since the formation of the charity in 1994, it has grown nationwide and there are now 28 FOCC groups nationwide.

Lynsey and Danja set off for their walk on 5th September, with the aim of raising money and awareness of the charity which hopes to support up to 80,000 children affected by the disaster..

Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/Lynsey-young2