In 2016, the National Network for Children started actively working on an extremely ambitious project – to build a Children’s House. This will be a shared space where children, young people, parents and professionals will work for happier, confident, active and successful children in Bulgaria. It will be a national centre for training and advocacy for children’s rights.
The house will offer a friendly and developing environment for all children in Bulgaria, regardless of their age, family and social status. It will provide training on children’s rights, the role of institutions, financial culture and entrepreneurship, health culture, ecology and sustainable development, leadership skills and in general – how children can grow up as active and responsible citizens. Children and young people will have the opportunity to exercise their right to an opinion and child and youth participation in practice. Children’s House will also be home to all 142 organisations that are part of the Children’s Network for their common activities and events.
The house will be run as a social enterprise and will employ young people coming out of institutions and foster care.
The land for the house is located on Blvd. “It was purchased with the financial support of the OAK and Velux foundations. Construction of the Children’s House is expected to start soon.
- Become a Business Angel and support us with expert advice and contacts in construction, social enterprise business planning or fundraising.
- Become our donor and support us financially. You can donate by account, through our website and in the Global Giving campaign, where we already have 200 donors.
- Donate building materials in kind - we need cement and iron, and at a later stage, tiles, equipment, furniture and much more.
- If you and your company stand behind the cause of happy, active and responsible children and young people and support Children's House, we can discuss the possibilities of a joint corporate social responsibility campaign. The benefits for your company are many - publicity, long-lasting branding inside and outside the building, management participation in various public events, participation in the Business Committee (Council of Angels) and various opportunities to engage employees in volunteering and other initiatives.
- Share the Children's House project with friends and colleagues and invite them to support us.
- Become our ambassador and attract more Business Angels, donors, famous Bulgarians.
- Make your own fundraising event - a marathon, a charity dinner for colleagues, put a donation box in the office, make a birthday or wedding with a cause (ask your friends to donate online instead of buying you a gift)...
The house will meet all conditions for a so-called child-friendly environment. It will have three floors, each of which will provide enough space and mobility for different activities.
There will be: event and interactive activity rooms, meeting and training rooms, sports and play spaces, office space to administer the activities of the Naional Network for Children, a cafeteria and kitchen that will offer catering and a small hostel to ensure the sustainability of the House as a social enterprise.
- Children and young people from all over the country, regardless of age, background, social status and health condition;
- Young people coming out of institutions and foster care, who will gain work experience and skills by being employed in various activities and actively participate in the management of the House as a social enterprise;
- Parents and families;
- Professionals working with children;
- The community of the National Network for Children and the entire civil sector, businesses, institutions and all who work for and with children and families.
The funds for the purchase of the land have been secured thanks to two major international foundations, OAK and Velux. Funding for part of the construction has also been secured.
The plot for the house is located in the center of Sofia, on Blvd. "Hristo Botev" between. "Slivnitsa" and ul. "Tsar Simeon". The plot has an area of 825 sq.m.
There will be an open competition for the conceptual architectural design in which all architects and architectural offices will be invited to participate.
In the meantime, we are running a fundraising campaign. You too can get involved by donating online (via credit or debit card, ePay, Pay Pal, or by bank transfer to our donation account.
PUBLICATIONS
Dear friends and supporters, Today we completed the first crowdfunding campaign on www.crwodfunder.co.uk and we would like to thank Mariela, Dessi Hristova, Nevil Jones, Gergana Lagro and George Bogdanov for […]