I am pleased to introduce the FARA Foundation 2024 annual report.
In 2024, we once again granted funds to Fundația FARA, enabling them to assist over 1,800 vulnerable individuals. The challenges faced by vulnerable populations in Romania remain substantial. Romania continues to have one of the highest rates of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU, at 33.8%. This highlights the crucial importance of the work we support, which includes:
- Therapy and rehabilitation programmes offering free therapies to children with disabilities, promoting their inclusion in mainstream education.
- The Tackling Poverty Through Education initiative supporting disadvantaged students to prevent school drop-out and foster social inclusion.
- Residential and outreach programmes empowering adults with disabilities to achieve independence and dignity.
A key development in 2024 was the closure of St Nicolas children’s home after 27 years, marking a shift towards community-based care due to societal changes and the growth of foster care.
Despite economic pressures in the UK and Romania, the charity’s retail shops across 26 London neighbourhoods raised most of the funds that support this all-important work. The generosity of supporters and donors, whether through these shops or other channels, is deeply appreciated.
This year, it has been a pleasure to continue working alongside our dedicated leadership team and Board of Trustees.
Thank you to everyone who works hard to generate the funds that Fundația FARA uses to deliver exceptional programmes, bringing about real change for many of Romania’s most vulnerable.
This review combines key elements from the Annual Reports of the FARA Foundation and FARA Enterprises Limited, and I hope you enjoy reading it.
Libby Gordon, CEO FARA Foundation
Download the 2024 Annual Review (PDF, 9MB)
