About Heart of a Child UK

Heart of a Child UK

A short history

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2000

The Charity, Heart of a Child UK, was set up in the year 2000 to support the work of Inima de Copil Foundation in Galati, Romania by creating a child sponsorship scheme to remove children from an isolation unit in a hospital in Galati, who were diagnosed as being HIV positive after being given infected blood.

Philippa, a young lady from Newport, Wales, who had been working as an Operation Mobilisation trainee and volunteer in Galati was the driving force behind the venture after meeting some ladies, from Inima de Copil Foundation in Galati, Romania in the hospital, who had a similar vision for the future of these children.

Back in the UK, Philippa introduced the sponsorship scheme to her friends and her church family, Nant Coch in Newport, who were eager to sign up and donate £20 to £30 a month towards the support of an individual child to ‘help give them a second chance in life’. Sponsors took a keen interest in their children and received regular bulletins as to their progress and some were able to visit Galati to meet the children in their new homes and see the way the work of Inima de Copil in Galati was progressing and working towards its aim to see happy, well-adjusted children as their medical, social and educational needs were being met.

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2001

In 2001, with summer approaching, Heart of a child responded to a request to help purchase a house on a large plot of land in the Vrancea Mountains, as a place to hold summer camps for the sponsored children as well as many other children living on the streets or in poor families in Galati. Naruja Camp would provide many happy weeks of fun and Bible learning for the children, away from city life, throughout each summer to follow. Young people from Newport also got the opportunity to experience camp life in Romania and make friends with the children.

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2007

In 2007 Philippa stepped down as Chairperson and Paul and Judy with experience of life in Galati and a heart for the children and respect for Anna, Director of Heart of a Child Romania, joined. The original sponsors remained faithful and the charity was helped by Support for Romania, a local charity transporting material aid to Romania, being willing to take gifts to Galati and bring back for sale, items made in the Inima de Copil workshop.

In this year Romania also became a member state of the EU but from visits to Galati over following years it was evident that deep poverty remained and the demands on Anna and the work of Inima de Copil Foundation in Galati, Romania increased. With the needs of the original children changing and new projects, such as the day centre for children with disabilities and projects for children from poor families throughout Galati County coming to our attention, a decision was made to give Anna discretion as to where donated money should be used.

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2011

Further changes to the Board in 2011 brought Adrian, formerly of Support for Romania to the Board as Chairperson with Paul continuing as Treasurer. Since then regular trips to Galati have continued to take place by supporters from Newport and Hereford and Anna has regularly visited Newport to attend our AGM meetings accompanied by Inima de Copil Foundation in Galati, Romania staff members.