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 Sofia find a placement of a week's experience with the YMCA in Northampton. Both charities are concerned with addressing the problems adolescents face leaving care and adapting to adult life. The time Eli spent familiarising herself with the programmes of the YMCA have been an inspiration to improved the work of Star of Hope enabling them to develop their approaches which they presented formally to the Social Ministry. Furthermore, the placement has led to an ongoing co-operation and Peter Storey, the CEO of the YMCA in Northampton is visiting Star of Hope in Bulgaria in April, with Emilia, the Director of Star of Hope making a reciprocal visit to the YMCA in Northampton in June.