A CHANCE meeting between a charity leader and a health-conscious employee could lead to a life-lengthening holiday for two children affected by radiation.

Builder Ian Wilshaw, who heads up the Middlewich-branch of Chernobyl Children's Lifeline, was doing work at Cheshire Electrical in Crewe when he got talking to employee Mark Lawrence. Mark told him he was looking to slim down - and raise cash for charity at the same time.

Mark, who lives in Elworth, near Middlewich, wants to lose three stone from his 16-and-a-half-stone frame and was delighted to support Ian's ambition of bringing two children, a 16-year-old girl and 11-year-old boy, to Mid Cheshire this summer.

The pair have been to England before as part of the charity's annual campaign to bring youngsters from places like Belarus suffering the aftereffects of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant reactor explosion in 1986.

Ian, of Coronation Road, Middlewich, said: 'These two have been here three times before and we hope to bring them back for a month to restart their batteries.

'They get 18 months added to their life expectancy for every four weeks they spend over here detoxing.

'We need to raise about £700 to pay for the flights, but once they are here, they will be staying with host families in the Middlewich area.'

Mark said: 'Obviously I will be getting some benefit out of losing some weight, but raising money for charity is the important thing - I like helping others, that's what I am about.'

Mark hopes to lose the weight inside four months and can be sponsored on 07977 220265 or 01270 500321.

Meanwhile, Chernobyl Children's Lifeline - which won a Your Champions award from Chronicle readers in 2004 - will be bringing another 20 or so children over to Mid Cheshire in July as part of its ongoing programme to give them a better chance in life. Fundraising for that will start in earnest shortly - for more details call Ian on 01606 737633.