NCH
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This page is about the UK children's charity NCH. NCH can also stand for the National Coalition for the Homeless
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NCH, the children's charity (formerly National Children's Home and at one time National Children's Home and Orphanage) is the United Kingdom's largest children's charity providing services for children young people and their families,[1] from before birth, until the age of 18 (and older for young people leaving care, or young people with disabilities). Its major areas of work are services for children with disabilities, family and community services, work with young people leaving care and rural children's services. Today, NCH runs more than 500 projects, reaching over 178,000 vulnerable children, young people and their families.[1]
Originally supported entirely by voluntary contributions and mainly providing residential homes for children who had been orphaned or taken into care, NCH now acts mainly as a provider of statutory services purchased by local authorities and other government bodies, including many Children's Centres, Children's Funds, disability and residential services, and projects working with families. NCH also runs several special schools, and provides adoption and fostering services.
NCH has its main offices on Highbury Park in the London Borough of Islington.[2]
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[edit] History
NCH was established in 1869 by the Rev'd Thomas Bowman Stephenson, a Methodist minister, and a group of fellow-Methodists. The organisation is historically closely linked with the Methodist Church of Great Britain. Throughout its history Methodist churches in the UK have taken a close interest in the work of NCH and have organised large-scale fund-raising in support of its work, both within the church and directed to the wider public. The second Sunday in July, the anniversary of Stephenson's founding of the first NCH home, is kept as "NCH Sunday" by Methodist churches, an occasion both for fund-raising and for study of the work of NCH; public street collections are often held at this time. Currently 50% of the trustees of NCH are Methodists.[3]
[edit] Aims
NCH's vision is that all children and young people have unique potential and that they should have the support and opportunities they need to reach it [1]. NCH helps "the most vulnerable children and young people in the UK break through injustice, deprivation and inequality, so they can achieve their full potential."[1]
[edit] Extended Family
The NCH ‘Extended Family’ includes ‘Old Boys & Girls’ - people formerly in branches of our children’s homes – and retired NCH staff. Other groups and individuals who are like family to NCH are lifelong supporters and Methodists – both of which have a strong historical link with the organisation.
The term ‘Extended Family’ is derived from an NCH publication by that name, which ran from 2000 to 2004, and was intended for Old Boys & Girls and retired staff. The Extended Family magazine is being relaunched in January 2008 and will be published twice a year.
The Extended Family now also has its own MySpace page (www.myspace.com/extended_family), dedicated to the history and heritage of NCH, where anyone interested can discover information about former National Children’s Home branches, stories and more.
[edit] Finances
NCH's turnover in 2005-06 was approximately £210 million. Of this, approximately £18 million was raised by voluntary subscription, the rest being payments from government bodies for acting as a provider of services purchased by those bodies[4].
