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From Chelsea to Chernobyl

Chernobyl volunteers in Belarus stand on the finished pond deck

A team of 12 landscapers and volunteers have used skills honed at the Chelsea Flower Show to transform the garden of a children’s hospice and summer camp situated 90km from the Belarus capital, Minsk.

In just one week the team, which included BALI members Martin Kelley from Fairwater Limited and Brian Herbert from Outdoor Options, built a pond complete with decked area, constructed a pergola and tree seat and put up 30 metres of fencing around the centre, which is used by children and families affected by the Chernobyl disaster of 1986.

Martin Kelley said: “It was a complete contrast to working on a Chelsea garden where you are working with the best equipment and materials; it’s hard work but at least at the end of the day you go home, have a shower and sleep in a warm bed.

“In Belarus we worked from dawn until dusk, materials and equipment had to be sourced locally, wood was cut from the forest next door, we slept on mattresses on the floor and didn’t even have showers. The only hot water was heated by the sauna so there was a limited supply.

“We were very grateful to Gordon Low Products who sourced a pond liner for us from their Swedish manufacturer Trellborg and underlay from Tencate. Both were supplied free of charge and shipped directly to site, although even that wasn’t straightforward. We were expecting them to arrive at the beginning of the week but after being held up by Lithuanian customs it was finally delivered in the back of a minibus the day before we left.

“None of us realised just how basic the facilities would be but it is a huge sense of achievement to have turned a piece of land into a garden that we hope children will be able to enjoy for years to come.”

T
he trip was organised by the charity Trust for Chernobyl Children (www.trust4chernobylchildren.org.uk) who raise funds to help children and their families affected by the Chernobyl disaster.

Yvonne Burdge, Trust Coordinator, said: “This trip has made such a difference. It is a lovely place and the children who come here benefit hugely but there is still a lot of work to be done. We hope to put in paths next year so the gardens can also be enjoyed by the children who have to use wheelchairs.”

The hospice and summer camp provides holidays and support to the disabled and bereaved and to families with very sick children. Today 1.3 million people still live on contaminated land and many children have birth defects, thyroid problems, heart disease and cancer as a result of the disaster.

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