Chernobyl Children's Project International has been chosen as the Charity Partner for the Taste Festivals, taking place in Dublin and Cork in June. Following on from its previous successes, Taste of Dublin is taking place from the 12th to the 15th June in the Iveagh Gardens. The Taste of Cork event takes place from the 27th to the 29th June in Cork City Gaol & Heritage Centre. By buying tickets for the event you will be donating a percentage of the cost of the ticket to the work of CCPI. If you would like more information please call us on 021 431 2999 or email info@chernobyl-ireland.com. You can also buy tickets for both events on the ticketline 0818 717200 or visit www.tastefestivals.ie

National Chernobyl Week was officially launched in April in St. Stephen's Green in Dublin by Adi Roche, Founder & Executive Director of CCPI, Ali Hewson, Board Director and sisters Niamh, Cailiosa and Sionnan Nic Grianna. The little girls wore Babushka doll costumes, symbolising the CCPI Charity Pin which went on sale in retail outlets, schools, shopping malls and workplaces throughout the country. If you would like more information or would like to support our work by making a donation, please call (021) 4312999 or email info@chernobyl-ireland.com or make a donation online via our secure Donate Now section.

On the 22nd April this week a new exhibition opened in the UN Headquarters in New York celebrating the work of Zoya Lucevich, an exciting contemporary artist from Belarus. The Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus to the United Nations, in cooperation with Mondano and Chernobyls Children Project International, supported the opening of ZOYA. The unique mixed-media pieces are intriguing and rich creations on auto windshields, along with paintings on canvas and solid wood, produced entirely during her recent stay in Washington DC. Coming from the land of Marc Chagall, Zoya reflects her impressions of America as well as her unique artistic and national identity in her new body of work. Like the artist herself, the work balances tradition and modernism and covers a vast psychological geography, from whimsical to sensual to deeply soulful. The ZOYA project is also a collaboration with the Chernobyls Children Project International to help establish arts programs for young people in Chernobyl-affected areas. On display at the United Nations through May 2, 2008, the ZOYA exhibit coincides with the 22nd anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe and will help bring the hopeful light of art for many children who live in its aftermath. The opening ceremony, hosted by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Belarus, will be attended by the UN officials, representatives of NGOs and the diplomatic community. This project is conceived and organized by Mondano ('world citizen'), a nonprofit group based in Washington DC (www.mondano.net).

The Merrion Property Group sponsored a hugely successful fundraising event held in the Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin. The 'Rugby Lunch' was organised by the team at Merrion Property Group to raise much-needed funds for the charity's 'Home of Hope' Programme.

The Project was delighted to welcome all volunteers, past and present, to the Annual Conference at Portlaoise Hotel held earlier this year. The event offered a great opportunity to share stories and information and celebrate the tremendous work of volunteers throughout Ireland. Presentations included overviews of CCPI's programmes and achievements and outlined the strategic developments within CCPI.