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Care for Children
This is a charity which both Anthea and I have been associated with since its beginning. In the early '90s, when we lived in Shanghai, Anthea ran the charitable group of the Shanghai Expatriates Association (SEA). She visited the various orphanages in and around the city and saw at first hand the difficult conditions for both staff and orphans. It was clear that there were large numbers of girls especially who would benefit from living outside these Dickensian institutions. The SEA developed close relations with the Shanghai city government's Social Welfare team, who control the charity sector there under the Civil Affairs Bureau.
At the same time I was encouraging the Shanghai British Chamber of Commerce, which I chaired, to donate to charitable causes. Both Anthea and I had close relations with the Civil Affairs Bureau and worked with their director to consider a project for a new modern orphanage. At that time it was too early in the opening of China for this to go ahead in the way I hoped for, and we were then transferred back to London. However, firm relations had been established, and just before we left Rob Glover came to Shanghai and Anthea introduced him to the city government.
Rob then settled in Shanghai, and with help from UK and Guernsey backers established Care for Children. This became a joint venture with the the Shanghai Social Welfare team to introduce foster care and train carers for the city's orphanages - the first such charitable jv in China. British Adoption and Foster (BAAF) gave a great deal of advice and provided training materials.
Back in the UK I became an advisor to, and later a director of, Children for Children and Anthea organised two major fund raising events in the UK for the charity.
Since then the Chinese national government has also bought into the idea of foster care in China and many thousands of orphans have been released from orphanges and now live in foster homes.
It is a tremendous story, for which Rob Glover has since received an OBE. As an example of what can be achieved in China it's inspiring. The charity still depends on donations - and the website link below will tell you more about today's activities:
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Council