Children affected by the Chernobyl disaster given free eye tests at Grantham optician

An opticians in Grantham welcomed a group of 11- and 12-year-olds from Belarus, an area still affected by the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl.

The visit was organised by Friends of Chernobyl’s Children. The youngsters have visited the Specsavers store in the Isaac Newton Shopping Centre several times in the last five years, many travelling to Grantham for the first time when they were just seven years old.

During their most recent visit, the children received free eye examinations and goody bags, and glasses were provided to those who needed them.

Specsavers store director Bijal Ladva said: “An eye examination may seem routine to you or me but these children, and many others like them, do not have access to the same level of healthcare that we do in this country. Having the correct eyecare is essential to children as around 80 per cent of what they learn is through their vision.”

Friends of Chernobyl’s Children raise funds that enable children to visit the UK from areas still suffering the effects of the devastating nuclear disaster in 1986.

The children come from social situations that make it difficult for them to receive the care they require back home and trips such as this one provide these children with the respite from the unhealthy conditions in their home country.