A RARE public screening of ’It’s a Wonderful Life’ at the Savoy Theatre just before Christmas has been declared a huge success after the event not only sold out but ended with a spontaneous standing ovation!

Proceeds from the event will support the work of the local charity Friends of Chernobyl Children.

Organiser Kevin Thomas said: “We were hoping for a good level of support but in the end were overwhelmed. The event was enhanced by the terrific carol singing of Llangattock Choir in the Church Street rain. The carollers alone raised more than £80.”

The total income from ticket sales, donations and carols was nearly £1,300, a terrific boost for the charity.

Friends of Chernobyl Children Monmouthshire co-ordinator Jane Hines said: “We are absolutely delighted. Our main outgoings are the travel costs for the children but we are allocating this sum towards the cost of the highlight of the month that the children spend in Wales: a three day trip to Gower peninsula where we hire a Youth Hostel at Port Eynon.”

Following the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, the wind blew the cloud of radiation to the north over the border into Belarus. It then rained heavily, bringing down a large amount of radiation into the ground into the south east of the country.

The children come from this area and live in areas where the ground is still contaminated by radiation. This radiation can, therefore, be in the food they eat or in the firewood used to heat their homes. As a consequence, the children have poor immune systems, suffering from chest problems and often issues with teeth and bone formation.

Jane added: “We see differences in skin and hair which results from the vitamins they get in the food and as supplements and we also see improvements when a child who has repeated cold sores or eczema is given the correct treatment.

“With our current group we have been delighted to see the improvement in one little girl who had a squint and who has been supplied with the appropriate glasses.

“The children are seen by a dentist, an optician, a chiropractor and homeopaths and we send them back with a year’s supply of vitamins, donated clothing and toiletries including basic medicines.”

For more information about the charity visit www.focc.org.uk