Friends of Bulgaria responds to local initiatives for improving the quality of life of children in care and adolescents leaving care living isolated, routine-bound existences in urban locations, deprived of social communication, recreation and proper education.
There was record attendance at the traditional Friends of Bulgaria Christmas Party on 6 December 2018 in the elegant reception rooms of the Bulgarian Embassy, where guests enjoyed a typical Bulgarian menu for St. Nicholas Day with national song and dance led by the London Bulgarian Choir followed by musical entertainment by Ivelina Tsoneva and her accompanist on the piano Tsvetan Sirakov, both returning for a second year. The charity Auction was also a source of great entertainment with lively competitive bidding for a range of exceptional lots.
Friends of Bulgaria charity project funding 2019 as a result of record funds raised at the Christmas Party and additional important donations, Friends of Bulgaria can continue to support long-established project partners Bulgaria:
Friends of Bulgaria works in partnership with NGOs in Bulgaria:
Star of Hope ZOV Karin Dom
Delivering projects designed to promote:
Communication & Social Skills: Life Support Skills: Personal development:
Individual confidence: | in Creative Arts: music, singing, dance, art, crafts in computer literacy, cooking, accounting 'Outreach' and Mentoring projects targeting individuals’ social, emotional, physical and educational difficulties Outward Bound projects, eg: summer camp and excursions offering experiences of rural nature and team building |
Latest News
 The TrekkingSpiritProject
Jan Kozlowski and Eva Kaznelson successfully trekked 6000 kms across Europe from Bulgaria to Spain raising funds for the benefit of disadvantaged children.
Through contact with Friends of Bulgaria they visited project centres managed by ZOV and have forwarded funds to for the purchase of privacy window blinds at the Crisis Centre for Girls in Veliko Turnovo. Jan Kozlowski, TrekkingSpiritProject
Children's Summer Camps 2018 Friends of Bulgaria enabled just as many Children’s Summer Camps in June and July this year as previously, giving over 70 children without parents and some with disabilities to enjoy the novelty of environments in the mountains or at the seaside introducing them to new outdoor activities such as hiking and swimming as an instructive alternative to the institutional homes they know all year-round.
ZOV Childrens Club at Penyo Maria Centre, Veliko Turnovo - new Sports Room: At the opening, Deputy Minister of Social Care Department Bulgaria Rositsa Dimitrova said: "Organisations like ZOV are a great example of collaboration between institutions. Other organisations should learn how ZOV helps children and how to be consistent, sustainable supporting not only for the children but the whole child protection system. I have never known an organization like ZOV. I am so proud of what ZOV is doing". February 2018
Project providers ZOV, Veliko Turnovo a team from Friends of Bulgaria visited ZOV programmes in several centres pictured ZOV initiative to extend the Outreach Mentoring programme to Children in Care in Vratsa is the focus of Friends of Bulgaria special Christmas Appeal 2017
  
ZOV Childrens' Club for Special ZOV Saturday Club for Girls at Volunteer Mentors help
Needs: music-making Risk in sheltered accommodation: children in care with school work
dancing and singing
 
ZOV Saturday Club for children ZOV Mentoring Education club in residential home craft making,
decorating eggs, candles
Star of Hope, Sofia Replacing Star of Hope founder Emilia Manolova, new director, Martin Evgeniev introduces the team at Star of Hope, including long-standing Social Worker Lubka Ivanova who is closely associated with sheltered accommodation HalfwayHouse residents past and present and maintains the level of care given to Family Centres for children without Parental Care and people with Special Needs, including adults and the elderly, provided by Star of Hope in the Vratsa and Blagoevgrad districts. read more
Dalbok Dol, Troyan - Centre for Social Rehabilitation and Integration Supported by Дете и Пространство - Child and Space Contact with Centre resumed, after a break following the departure of Centre Director in 2014
Situated in the tranquil Balkan village Dalbok Dol, the Centre comprises of:
- a Family Centre with capacity for accommodating 14 children without parental care - a Day Centre with therapy for children with Special Needs referred by the schools in Troyan - and is equipped with an art and ceramics workshop
 
Dalbok Dol Day Centre therapist support Friends of Bulgaria Project Sites | 
The TrekkingSpiritProject 
