SOS Children's Villages UK
 | |
| Founded | 1963, Lavender Hill, London, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Type | Charity |
| Registration no. | 1069204 |
| Focus | Alternative care for children who cannot live with their parents |
| Location | |
Area served | Worldwide |
CEO | Alison Wallace |
Employees | 21 |
Volunteers | 1 |
| Website | www |
SOS Children's Villages UK, is an international children's charity based in Cambridge in the United Kingdom. It is part of the international federation SOS Children's Villages – the largest international charity dedicated to the care of children who have lost parental care.
Internationally, SOS Children's Villages works in 136 countries and territories[1], of which it provides services in 125. Its slogan is "Protecting unsupported children worldwide". Programmes include SOS Children's Villages where a child has nobody to care for them, they offer them a home, a carer and a family where children can grow up from cradle to career[2], family strengthening programmes where they work directly with families to provide practical and emotional support to help parents and caregivers look after their children[3], youth employability and vocational training programmes to provide young people with the skills and confidence to build fulfilling careers and independent lives[4] and in situations of war and disaster they provide children with specific protection and car utilising their global infrastructure[5].The charity is non-denominational and works in the spirit of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Since 1995, SOS Children's Villages has worked with the United Nations to help governments and organisations support children who have lost or are at risk of losing parental care. In 2009, the charity worked with other experts to develop the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children.[6]
In 1969 chairman of SOS Children's Villages UK, Dickson Mabon attempted to arrange the construction of Children's Villages in Scotland. However, he was refused permission to build the Villages on planning grounds by the local authorities concerned.[7]
Supporters and Ambassadors
 | This section may be confusing or unclear to readers. (November 2019) |
Supporters include Stephen Hawking, Alexander McCall Smith, Anyika Onuora, Richard Attenborough, Kate Humble and Wayne Rooney.[8]
International Ambassador, as of April 2014, is Belgian footballer Vincent Kompany.[9]
Angelina Jolie is a long-term supporter and has visited SOS Children's Villages in Haiti, Ethiopia and Jordan.[10]
Nelson Mandela was a supporter of SOS Children's Villages work in South Africa and officially opened the SOS Children's Village in Cape Town.[11] Upon his death in December 2013, SOS Children's Villages joined in memorials to celebrate his life. The Dalai Lama supports SOS Children, particularly the SOS Children's Villages in North India, which provide a home for child refugees from Tibet.
Trustees
Current trustees are Mary Maynard (Chairman), George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews, Michael Brewer, Graham Budd, Nicola Robert, Matthew de Villiers, and Ian Briggs[12].
Dame Mary Richardson is their President[13].
References
- ^ "SOS Children's Villages UK: Where we work".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "SOS Village Communities".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "SOS Children's Villages UK: supporting families".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "SOS Children's Villages: Youth employability".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "SOS Children's Villages UK: Disaster and conflict".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children". Archived from the original on 7 July 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ "J Dickson Mabon". 13 April 2008. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ^ "Our Ambassadors". Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ Vincent Kompany joins SOS Children as International Ambassador
- ^ AngelinaJolieUNHCR (11 February 2010), Angelina Jolie Visited Haiti SOS Children's Villages 2010, retrieved 5 June 2019
- ^ SOS Children's Village Cape Town
- ^ "SOS Children's Villages UK: CEO & Trustees".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "SOS Children's Villages: CEO & Trustees".
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)