THE North Haven Yacht Club’s Golden Jubilee celebrations went with a splash when it hosted the Wessex Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline Regatta last weekend.

Around 15 children from Chernobyl in the Ukraine, who are visiting Poole for one month’s recuperative care, and their host families and friends, enjoyed an afternoon of hospitality and activities including crabbing, sailing, power boating, kayaking, paddle board racing and a greasy pole challenge followed by a barbecue.

Club commodore Barry Swaffield told the Echo: "Without the dedication of local families, these children would not have the opportunity to escape, for a short time, the toxic pollution which still exists in the area where they live following the catastrophic events in 1986."

He added that the club was delighted to sponsor the event and following donations from two club members and a charity raffle, the charity was presented with a cheque for £231.

John Martindale, chair of Wessex CCLL, thanked the NHYC and said that the charity was very grateful for the club’s support.

He said: "The children enjoyed a superb outing with stunning views and good, clean air. The children voiced their appreciation, with a loud shout of “Thank you very much!”.

For more information visit website ccll.org.uk/wessex.