Current and past projects and news

Some of our projects and news

1. Executive Director of Karin Dom appointed in October 2024

   New Executive Director of Karin Dom has been appointed in October 2024 Antoaneta Boncheva Ivanova ‘is a well-known person in the field of social services and policies for children, an advocate for children’s rights and health care in Bulgaria. She is an activist, volunteer, social worker. One of the first volunteers on the ground during […]

2. Ann Richardson Donation 2019

   A generous donation from the Executors of the estate of Ann Richardson specifically for the Social Services Complex St. Mina in Pordim near Pleven was transferred by Friends of Bulgaria to the Complex Director. The Social Services Complex St Mina administered by the Pordim Municipality (Pleven) provides 24 hour care for 14 children and adolescents […]

3. ZOV expanding – 2017 Christmas Appeal: Mentoring Project in Vratsa

   Vratsa Project This is the first project to roll out childcare services provided by ZOV in Veliko Turnovo outside the region.  The project aims to benefit a large institution in Vratsa catering for 45 children aged 7 to 18 deprived of parental care.  The Child Protection Agency reports children suffering from a high level of […]

4. Friends of Bulgaria supported Summer Camps 2017

   A record number of summer camps welcomed children from distant towns in Bulgaria to the heart of the Balkan Mountains: from Sofia, Star of Hope’s regular summer camp from Veliko Turnovo, ZOV increased the number of successive camps to 6 from Kichevo, Varna, the first summer camp from the Center for Faith, Hope and Love

5. Karin Dom – Improving the quality of life and social integration of children in foster care, 2017

   Karin Dom Foundation, Varna Center for Social Rehabilitation and Integration (CSRI) Karin Dom New Project 2019 Karin Dom – Early Childhood (Special Needs) Development Outreach Course: Therapy programmes tailored for pre-school children with special needs and their parental carers selected from municipalities throughout Bulgaria attending Karin Dom in Varna. Project 2017 Improving the quality of […]

6. Kichevo Summer Camp 2017

   A group of from the Family Center for Faith, Hope and Love in Kichevo, near Varna enjoyed a week-long Summer Camp for the first time in the Balkans near Troyan.  The Centre at Kichevo is supported by Bulgarisch-Deutsches Sozialwerk and the Summer Camp was initiated by the Kirill Georgieff Stiftung/Foundation in collaboration with Friends of […]

7. Nezabravka, Stara Zagora

   Music and Drama classes for the children at the Nezabravka home in Stara Zagora

8. Mountaineering Club, Stara Zagora

   Some pictures from last year's trips organised by the Mountaineering Club at the Balgarka children's home in Stara Zagora.

9. Troyan, Dalbok Dol Centre for Social Rehabilitation and Integration 2005-2013

   Friends of Bulgaria supported projects and facilities at the Centre for Social Rehabilitation and Integration at Dalbok Dol since it opened in 2005, one of two social centres administered by the non-governmental organisation Society for All managed by Director Rumiana Kraleva. In the rural village of Dalbok Dol, Municipality of Troyan, District Council of Lovec, […]

10. Lovec, Paraskeva Neikova Dom 2011-2014

    In 2011, Friends of Bulgaria received a proposal directed by Bishop Gavril of Lovec for funding a project of activities at the Paraskeva Neikova Dom (Home) drawn up by the Director, Valeria Baramova. The Paraskeva Neikova Dom was then a Family Centre in Lovec catering for 27 children and adolescents (7-18 yrs. 16 girls, 11 […]

11. Day Centre in Troyan

    Friends of Bulgaria set up a day centre for children with disabilities in the Ivan Hadjijski school in Troyan.  The centre is unique for Bulgaria – it integrates education of disabled children into a mainstream school. Over the few years of its existence the Centre proved a huge success and benefits not only the children […]

12. Recycled Christmas Cards

    Several parishes in Northamptonshire have voluntarily donated the proceeds of the sale of recycled Christmas cards to FoB for charitable causes in Bulgaria consistently over the past ten years or so – the funds increase each year as the number of recycling groups has increased and as their work now runs throughout the year, recycling […]

13. Cooking Courses in Roman

    In January 2008 Friends of Bulgaria directed funds for courses on Domestic Science and Cooking organised in March by Star of Hope for adolescents in the Special Needs School in Roman. The funds were raised over the course of last year by the sale of seasonal greetings cards made by groups of volunteers in neighbouring […]

14. Social Worker Placements

    Alerted that a social worker from Star of Hope was seeking work experience in England, FoB identified a charity able to host the placement of a foreign social worker and put in touch with YMCA, Northampton. Last November 2007, Friends of Bulgaria was able to help Eli, a social worker with Star of Hope in […]

15. The Health and Day Centre, Plovdiv

    The Health and Day Centre was set up in July 1998 with the help of the United Dutch Foundation at the Pediatric Oncological Department at the Medical University in Plovdiv. The Centre supports children who have been diagnosed with cancer, and their families The support can come in many forms: financial and emotional. Financial support […]

16. Star of Hope Projects

    These are some of the projects run by Bulgarian charity Star of Hope, which we have supported over the years. 2003 Supplying winter clothing for the Special Needs School, Dolno Draglishte Christmas reunion of families and prisoners, Bobov Dol Children's homes in Blagoevgrad region (funds raised by Northants Christmas Card Recycling) Central Prison, Sofia: Christmas […]

17. Stara Zagora Music Project

    At the end of 2004 Friends of Bulgaria introduced music lessons in two orphanages in Stara Zagora and in the Home for Children with Mental disabilities in Petrovo, near Stara Zagora. FOB funds the music teacher (Vania Kostova) who covers the 3 homes. The results of introducing music and dance in the three homes exceeded […]

18. Big Orange Bus

    A bus specially equipped as a mobile sensory unit was launched in Bulgaria in 2002. The bus, complete with ball pond, bubble tube, musical instruments and a range of sensory toys, will cater for children and young adults with a range of disabilities, including autism, cerebral palsy and Down's syndrome, who live with their parents […]