The Settle group of the Friends of Chernobyl’s Children has decided to disband after the 10th visit to the Dales by sick children from Belarus.

The local charity was started in 1997 with the initial intention to carry on for five years.

Each year, 12 children aged seven to 11, along with teaching staff from Mogilev, an area badly contaminated by radioactive fall-out following an explosion in one of the nuclear reactors in Chernobyl in April 1986, came to Settle to stay with local families.

Settle was not unique. Many groups were formed around the country to bring children over for a month’s rehabilitation each year.

The children were given medical check-ups and sent home with gifts, new clothes and renewed health.

In Settle, the volunteers undertook their task with dedication and, when the five-year landmark came, the vote was taken to continue for a further 10 years.

The last time the children came over was in 2007 – the 10th visit – but already a new band of volunteers had come on board to continue the charity.

However, last year’s visit was postponed due to difficulties raised by the Belarusian government.

That visit was due to be rescheduled for June this year.

The main stumbling block was that the Belarusian government wanted the children to come over here during their school holiday period.

But the new schedule clashed with that of many host families in Settle so the visit was cancelled.

Acting chairman John Diggles said at the annual general meeting in 2005, following the retirement of the last of the original committee, there was a proposal that the group should wind up after its 10th hosting in 2007.

“That proposal was overturned the following year when a new, enthusiastic and younger group of committee members was elected and decided to continue the visits beyond 2007,” he said.

Several fundraising events had been arranged to pay for the visiting children’s flights and expenses.

But Mr Diggles said: “A number of things have now changed the outlook for the local charity.

“The cost of the visits has escalated and the task of fundraising was becoming increasingly more difficult, even before the present economic downturn.

“Last year, the new chair of the group resigned half-way through the year and then the children’s visit had to be cancelled.

“In addition, several members of the present committee, including Steve and Jackie Woodrow, the visit co-ordinators, and the acting chairman of the trustees, myself, decided to step down for personal and family reasons and there are not sufficient people willing to take on the tasks.

“In these circumstances, the executive committee has reluctantly concluded that the only viable option is to revert to the 2005 decision and allow the tenth visit, which took place in 2007, to be the final one for the Settle group.

“This was put to the vote and was endorsed by all those present with one abstention.”

Mr Diggles said it was a sad decision, particularly because of the huge health benefits it gave visiting children and the strong attachment they made with their host families year after year.

Speaking after the vote, he said: “Although it is naturally disappointing for the group to close, the tremendous generosity, dedication and hard work that made these 10 visits possible represents a massive achievement for this small community over the past decade and one of which the people of Settle can be justifiably proud.”