Chernobyl Children's LifeLine trip cancelled

THE Burtonwood Link of the Chernobyl Children's LifeLine has been forced to cancel an annual trip to support Belarusian children due to a lack of host families.

The initiative, which was set up in 1997 following the nuclear disaster in 1986, has been welcoming children from Belarus since 1998.

The group provides opportunities for Belarusian children, suffering from the after-effects of the disaster, to visit this country and boost their immune system.

But this year the trip will not go ahead as planned.

While chairman Colin Frodsham expressed his disappointment at having to cancel the visit, he remains hopeful that next year more people will come forward to help.

He said: "We only had two families come forward at first so we had to take the difficult decision to cancel.

"This is the first time we have had to cancel since we started.

"Next year will be 30 years since the disaster so we are hoping there will be a renewed interest.

"Some people think that that everything is OK in Belarus but I'm afraid it's not and they still need our help."

 

Theme park offer for dads

TO celebrate Father's Day, Gulliver's World is giving dads free entry to the theme park.

Dad can take advantage of the offer on June 20 and 21.

Each family entering the park must include at least one adult and one child.

 

Nature reserve plans approved

PLANS to build a nature reserve on a site in Burtonwood have been approved but with condition.

The owner of the land, Phillip Broderick, was seeking planning permission to build three wildlife ponds, an agricultural building, WC shed, earth mound and car park with access.

While council planners have agreed planning permission to build on the land adjacent to Old Alder Lane, the owner must not use the site for commercial use.

The conditions can be read in full on the planning section of the council website.

 

Councillor rolls out plans for skatepark

PLANS to secure a cash boost to build a permanent skatepark in Burtonwood are under way.

The chairman of Burtonwood and Westbrook Parish Council, Cllr Kevin Burgess, is looking into ways to find funding to build the sports ramp.

This follows a successful family fun day which was organised by Cllr Burgess last month.

He said: "As chairman of Burtonwood and Westbrook Parish Council, I always listen to the views and concerns of residents.

"Young people have told me that they feel there is not enough to do in the village so I decided to do something about this.

"Following the success of Ramp Raiders, I am looking into trying to secure funding to get a static skatepark."

As the plans remain in the early stages of development, a location has yet to be chosen.