Who we are
Lumos is an international NGO, founded by J K Rowling, which works with children in the European Region.
One million children in the European Region live in large, residential institutions. We believe this is a form of abuse because research shows that, despite best intentions, institutions harm the health and development of children.
We aim to put an end to the systematic institutionalisation of children, within the next 20 years. To do this, we work on seven different levels - from the individual child to international decision makers - to transform education, health and social care systems for children and their families and help children move from institutions to family-based care.
Lumos was officially launched on 25 February 2010. It was previously known as the Children’s High Level Group, a charity that had been established by Baroness Emma Nicholson and the author J K Rowling in 2005.
In 2005, J K Rowling joined with Baroness Emma Nicholson to address the problem of institutionalised and disadvantaged children in Eastern Europe. Together they formed an English charity – the Children’s High Level Group – and a Romanian charity – The Associatia Children’s High Level Group. From 2006, the Children’s High Level Group began to expand its work into other European countries.
By 2009, the two organisations had developed different visions for their future work and in January 2010, they agreed, amicably, that henceforth they would work largely independently of each other.
In 2010, Baroness Nicholson resigned from the Board of the English charity. She continues as Chair of the Romanian charity, The Asociatia Children’s High Level Group, in which capacity she will further the work she began there and direct its resources to existing and new projects.
The Board of Trustees of the English charity (now renamed Lumos), will continue to be chaired by J K Rowling. The other Trustees are Dr Kazem Behbehani, Bryan Ellis, Sir Roger Singleton, Neil Blair, Rita Dattani, Sandy Loder, Lucy Smith, Rachel Wilson and District Judge Nick Crichton. The English charity will continue its work on projects across Europe, with the exception of Romania.
Lumos currently works in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Moldova and Montenegro and, over the coming months and years, will expand its projects to even more countries.
Our vision is a world where all children are raised in a safe and caring environment; where none are placed in large, uncaring institutions.
