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In
the Autumn of 2003 the eight volunteers met to load up the four
lorries they were about to drive through Poland to Belarus.
They
were heading for the Gomel region of Belarus, which was heavily
affected by contamination during the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
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| One
of the trucks carrying supplies |
BBC
Radio York's Michelle Lyons joined them, recording their experiences
along the way.
 Listen
to the documentary
Simon,
one of the volunteers, was going to Chenobyl for the first time.
What did he expect when he got there?
"A
land of contrast, I think, quite a lot of hardship. Certainly an
eye opener"
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| Unloading
the trucks in Belarus |
But
was he prepared for what lay ahead?
"Nothing
can prepare you for the culture shock. As you cross each border
you see a significant change in the display of visible wealth.
"As
we moved into Russia the change was very marked.
"Moving
away from Poland you could see fewer creature comforts and then
you are going into an area that, I suspect, is how England looked
about 400 years ago.
"Where
houses are no bigger than a garden shed. It really is a shock to
see that people are still living like this."
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| A
young man, institutionalised because he is orphaned. |
The
aid was to be delivered to institutions, orphanages and schools
around Belarus.
The
most disturbing stop for the volunteers was an institution for people
suffering from mental health.
Described
by one of the volunteers as "The most dismal place I have ever
been.
"They
seem to wear the same clothes in summer as they do in winter and
they wander round aimlessly. Some of them are actually locked into
pens so they don't escape.
"The
shock is unbelievable and people have broken down not realising
places like this actually exist."
Hear
the full documentary
Sadly
a shadow was cast over the entire trip as one of the volunteer drivers
died during the journey. Norman had been a member of the charity
for several years and will be sorely missed by his friends.
Despite
this the volunteers know their work is never done and they are already
planning their next trip.
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The Chernobyl disaster was a unique event and the only accident
in the history of commercial nuclear power where radiation-related
fatalities occurred
