Swindon Smile Menders take aid to the Ukraine

Ready to roll to the Ukraine, Brendon and Natasha Ball, Linda and Richard Swift

Another mercy mission to provide dental and health care to children and adults in Ukraine took place during July when Brendon and Natasha Ball, and Richard and Linda Swift from the Freshbrook and Milton Road dental practices delivered £20,000 worth of supplies to the city of Cherkassy.

And after two years of planning, fundraising and delicate bureaucratic negotiation, they departed in two vehicles on 10 July on a four day journey towing a six metre former schools mobile clinic to be used in the region around the city, an area the size of Wales with a population of 1.5 million.

The trip is a continuation of work Brendon and Richard started in 1999 when they first delivered dental equipment and materials to Cherkassy and provided up-to-date training for local dentists.

In 2000 Dr Ivan Kovolenko and colleague Kateryna Kormovenko visited Swindon to observe dental practice. Later that year Brendon married their translator Natasha, who has become an essential link in developing contacts with Ukraine and finding ways through relevant bureaucracies.

Then the idea of providing mobile health care started to take shape and a new charity, Smile Menders, was formed. Speaking before they left, Brendon said, "dental treatment is available in the city but in the rural areas it is non-existent.

"Dr Kovolenko is now regional director of dental services and plans to use the unit to provide care for children shut away in orphanages. His wife Nadia is director of paediatric services and is organising a health care programme for mothers with babies.

"We're all very excited about the prospects for this project," said Brendon. "There's been a lot of hard work pulling it together at this end and the people in Ukraine have been working equally hard to persuade civil servants that the unit will result in real improvements in dental and health care for their people. You cannot imagine how much bureaucratic discussion has been involved. Every last item has had to be listed for customs clearance and the digital pictures of the unit taken by swindonlink.com and e-mailed to Ukraine in early July will be essential evidence to get us across the border."

Smile Menders has received vast amounts of practical assistance and discounted price materials. Dentists on the Wiltshire Local Dental Committee have made major contributions, and the Wiltshire Health Authority has provided health education information.

Now repainted and refitted the 3 tonne clinic has been dedicated to Pete Holland, partner in Holland Handling at Minety, the waste management company which used the caravan as a workers canteen before handing it over. Pete fought a long brave battle against cancer and died in 2000.

The unit was refurbished and re-insulated to cope with the harsh Ukraine winter by staff at Glenpac Southern in Cricklade and it was repainted by Titcombe Garages in Westlea. MFI, Mays Carpets and Cutting Edge Signs helped and Wiltshire Police provided blue and yellow reflective strips which happen to match the colours in the Ukraine flag.

The team will also be delivering equipment to Chekassy general hospital from the late Dr Dilleep Godbole's surgery at Shaw Centre. Some was donated to a hospital in the Crimea last year.

The work of Smile Menders now moves into another stage - supporting the work of local dentists with materials and also raising funds to pay for fuel, staff and health education information.

To find out more or to help with fundraising events, call Brendon at Freshbrook dental practice on 873044 after 29 July.