There are various different ways in which you can get involved in the work of the Edinburgh Link. Could you...

• Become a host family?
• Volunteer as a support family?
• Help with fundraising?

Host families

'Host families' are those who take in the Belarusian children, providing them with a 'home from home' for the duration of their stay. Some take children for the full four weeks that they are in the UK, others opt to share with another family and host for a shorter two week period. Families, couples and women living alone can all be considered as potential hosts; the only prerequisit is a willingness to open up both heart and home to the visiting children.

Where possible the children are placed in host families in pairs as this makes life easier not only for them, but also for the family concerned. A full programme of group activities is organized by the link and every child gets the opportunity to visit the dentist and optician, as well as being provided with good quality second hand clothing. The group is, of course, always accompanied by a Belarusian leader who speaks fluent English and is on call twenty-four hours a day to help iron out any problems. Every host family is invited to attend an induction session before the childrens' arrival and support is always availiable from committee members and experienced host families.

Many families host year after year and often maintain contact with their young guests long after they have returned to Belarus. Some get so attached to the children that they pay for them to return on a private basis, once again organized by the charity. Hosting children from the Chernobyl area is an incredibly rewarding experience and the change in the children over the course of their stay is remarkable. Linguistic barriers disappear within the first few days as these children truly do become a part of the family.

Support families

'Support families' do exactly as their name suggests, providing vital support to our host families during the children's stay. Help is often required with transportation to activities and many host families require someone to look after their children for the odd evening, day or even weekend. People willing to provide support can be paired with one particular host family or help out more generally - either way their work is greatly appreciated by all involved. Some families considering hosting opt to first act as a support family to get a feel for how the visits are organized.

Fundraisers

A huge amount of work goes on throughout the year to raise the funds necessary to bring a group of children to Edinburgh. One child's fare from Minsk to Edinburgh costs approximately £400, which means that in 2007 our link will spend £5600 on airfares alone. Any help with fundraising is always greatly appreciated so please don't hestitate to get in contact if you think you can help us with this most vital activity. 

No matter how you think you may be able to help us - we're waiting to hear from you!