Our Vision
We share the vision of a world in which sensory impaired children and young people enjoy the same rights, opportunities, responsibilities, fulfilment and quality of life as their able-bodied peers.
We share the vision of a world in which sensory impaired children and young people enjoy the same rights, opportunities, responsibilities, fulfilment and quality of life as their able-bodied peers.
Thank you to Orange Romania for their ongoing support and encouragement
LIGHT INTO EUROPE
News
June 2008
Mid-Summer Festival raises funds for the Sensory Impaired Children in Romania
Light into Europe Charity’s guests turned out last Friday at the Intercontinental Hotel in Bucharest to enjoy the Mid-Summer Festival and to underscore their support to the charity’s project of developing services for the Romanian hearing and sight impaired children and young people.
Guests shared traditions and customs related to the mid-summer solstice celebrations, enjoyed live music and wonderful cuisine, all in the Scandinavian style.
The event’s Guest of Honor, the British Ambassador, Mr. Robin Barnett highlighted the importance of community getting together in order to make a difference in the lives of those affected by disabilities or socially underprivileged.
Stan Platt, Light into Europe’s Chairman said, “We are delighted that the Intercontinental has organized this event for the benefit of the hearing and sight impaired children our charity work with. Through our services and activities we support some of the most excluded and vulnerable children and young people in Romania. We know that our success is highly dependent on the strength of our partnerships and we are very grateful to our sponsors tonight, Orange Romania, Intercontinental, KD Life, Metro, Coca Cola HBC, Ursus and Halewoods.”
The event raised funds that will to be used towards a ten day Summer school camp in Dorna (Suceava county) for one hundred children and teachers from sensory impaired and main stream schools.
Last year, a group of fifty children, from sensory and main stream schools enjoyed a similar opportunity.
The Summer school camp focuses on creative and artistic activities that encourage children’s self-confidence and facilitate social inclusion.
Light into Europe would like to say a huge Thank you to everyone concerned for making the Mid-Summer Festival such a success.
July 2008
Light into Europe featured in Oblique Magazine!
Oblique Magazine recently published an article featuring the work of Light into Europe. This article was a great opportunity for us to talk about our recent accomplishments – including our efforts to train the first guide dog for the blind in Romania. Please read below for the text of the article or read the original.
Mid-Summer Festival raises funds for the Sensory Impaired Children in Romania
Light into Europe Charity’s guests turned out last Friday at the Intercontinental Hotel in Bucharest to enjoy the Mid-Summer Festival and to underscore their support to the charity’s project of developing services for the Romanian hearing and sight impaired children and young people.
Guests shared traditions and customs related to the mid-summer solstice celebrations, enjoyed live music and wonderful cuisine, all in the Scandinavian style.
The event’s Guest of Honor, the British Ambassador, Mr. Robin Barnett highlighted the importance of community getting together in order to make a difference in the lives of those affected by disabilities or socially underprivileged.
Stan Platt, Light into Europe’s Chairman said, “We are delighted that the Intercontinental has organized this event for the benefit of the hearing and sight impaired children our charity work with. Through our services and activities we support some of the most excluded and vulnerable children and young people in Romania. We know that our success is highly dependent on the strength of our partnerships and we are very grateful to our sponsors tonight, Orange Romania, Intercontinental, KD Life, Metro, Coca Cola HBC, Ursus and Halewoods.”
The event raised funds that will to be used towards a ten day Summer school camp in Dorna (Suceava county) for one hundred children and teachers from sensory impaired and main stream schools.
Last year, a group of fifty children, from sensory and main stream schools enjoyed a similar opportunity.
The Summer school camp focuses on creative and artistic activities that encourage children’s self-confidence and facilitate social inclusion.
Light into Europe would like to say a huge Thank you to everyone concerned for making the Mid-Summer Festival such a success.
July 2008
Light into Europe featured in Oblique Magazine!
Oblique Magazine recently published an article featuring the work of Light into Europe. This article was a great opportunity for us to talk about our recent accomplishments – including our efforts to train the first guide dog for the blind in Romania. Please read below for the text of the article or read the original.
LIGHT INTO EUROPE pentru o lume mai buna
„Light into Europe” este o fundatie de caritate fondata in anul 1986 in Marea Britanie, care si-a inceput activitatea prin servicii de asistenta umanitara si evacuare medicala pe calea aerului in tarile din Estul si centrul Europei. Din 1990 a fost prezenta si in Romania, desfasurandu-si munca in mod progresiv, in spitale, orfelinate si scoli de pe teritoriul tarii, cu programe de pregatire medicala si sociala, prim-ajutor, echipamente medicale si medicamente. Cel mai important succes al fundatiei a fost insa dezvoltarea Serviciului de Ambulanta Aeriana pentru Ministerul Sanatatii, lansat in 1997 si gestionat pina in anul 2003.
Din 2004, „Light into Europe” a inceput dezvoltarea de programe de sprijin pentru copiii si tinerii cu deficiente senzoriale din Romania. Fundatia porneste de la ideea ca orice copil sau tinar, are dreptul la viata implinita si fara bariere, indiferent de dizabilitatea pe care o are.
Pornind de la acesta viziune, fundatia dezvolta programe de sprijin educational, de viata independenta si de pregatire pentru viata profesionala, alaturi de furnizarea de echipamente de sprijin, avind ca rezultat imbunatatirea calitatii vietii copiilor si tinerilor cu deficiente de auz sau de vedere.
Eforturile fundatiei in acest sens au fost remarcate si una din donatiile recente se numara si un caine labrador-retriever pe care fundatia a inceput sa il antreneze pentru a putea deveni ciine-ghid pentru nevazatori.
In acest moment in Romania, Chloe – catelusa antrenata de catre Stan Platt, presedintele Light into Europe - este primul caine ghid pentru nevazatori aflat in pregatire in Romania. Spre deosebire de aceasta situatie, In Marea Britanie, de exmplu, exista peste 5.000 de asftel de caini-insotitori.
Chloe este deosebit de prietenoasa si jucausa si indeplineste toate conditiile unui caine-ghid: ascultatoare, calma, sensibila, Chloe isi va continua dresajul pentru inca un an, perioada recomandata pentru astfel de misiuni, dupa care ea va deveni partenerul de lucru al unei persoane nevazatoare din Romania.
Testele finale de aptitudini si evaluarea vor fi efectuate de o echipa de specialisti de la Guide Dogs for the Blind din Marea Britanie
Stan Platt ne explica problemele pe care le intalneste pe strazile Bucurestiului atunci cand iese la plimbarile de antrenament cu Chloe: „Majoritatea strazilor sunt pline de capcane pentru pietoni, cu atit mai mult pentru cei cu deficienta de vedere: aproape peste tot sunt masini parcate necorespunzator, ilegal, de care nevazatorii se pot ciocni in orice moment, gropi nemarcate corespunzator, in general arhitectura stradala, sa spunem, este foarte neprietenoasa.
Apoi, mai sunt si cainii vagabonzi care dau dovada de o violenta extrema.”
Ca membru al European Guide Dog Federation, organizatia condusa de Stan Platt va obtine in curind inca o donatie de caini pe care sa ii antreneze pentru a deveni ghizi pentru nevazatori, din tari precum: Islanda, Franta si Marea Britanie.
Pentru detalii despre programele si beneficiarii fundatiei, precum si informatii despre deficientele de vedere sau de auz: Fundatia Light into Europe- Centrul de Resurse pentru deficientele senzoriale, tel 021 224 46 08, fax 021 224 47 93, email.
Light into Europe supports the Hadrian’s Wall Challenge
Dear Friends,
Living in Bucharest most of the time now, I often reflect just how far and yet near the British Isles are. Far when we remember the Roman soldiers who marched out from Dacia to guard the empires Northern boundary at Hadrians Wall some 2000 years ago, near when we think of a British Airways flight that will take us to London in about 3 hours.
What has this statement to do with our charity? Well we have had a wonderful offer, made by David, Barbara and Zoe Culmer, to take up the challenge of walking Hadrian's Wall from Wallsend to Bowness on Solway, a total of 93 miles over 7 days, to raise funds in support of the work of Light into Europe. David is a long standing trustee of the charity.
Asked why they want to do it, the reply came "We love walking and have walked many long distance paths in Britain, but as we are now getting older,( David and Barbara are both in their seventies!) we think the time when we can do this is running out! David and Barbara are well into their seventies, Zoe is their daughter.
The walk is to take place starting on September the 7th, if you felt able to sponsor them in a small (or large) way, it would be wonderful.
Just reply to me by email saying how much per mile you will sponsor them, or a fixed amount if they finish the whole 93 miles!
The funds raised will be used to purchase new school uniform for deaf children from a very poor school in Bucharest!
Many thanks for your continued interest.
Stan Platt
September 2008
Light into Europe featured AGAIN in Oblique Magazine!
We are pleased to report that the current issue of Oblique Magazine featured two stories about Light into Europe.
First of all, the Magazine covered the news of our successful Mid-Summer Festival. We encourage you to read the story in Romanian or English.
We are also thankful for Oblique writing about one of our dear friends, Mary. Our relationship with Mary goes back many years and is one of mutual support and love. Please read the story in Romanian or English.
Living in Bucharest most of the time now, I often reflect just how far and yet near the British Isles are. Far when we remember the Roman soldiers who marched out from Dacia to guard the empires Northern boundary at Hadrians Wall some 2000 years ago, near when we think of a British Airways flight that will take us to London in about 3 hours.
What has this statement to do with our charity? Well we have had a wonderful offer, made by David, Barbara and Zoe Culmer, to take up the challenge of walking Hadrian's Wall from Wallsend to Bowness on Solway, a total of 93 miles over 7 days, to raise funds in support of the work of Light into Europe. David is a long standing trustee of the charity.
Asked why they want to do it, the reply came "We love walking and have walked many long distance paths in Britain, but as we are now getting older,( David and Barbara are both in their seventies!) we think the time when we can do this is running out! David and Barbara are well into their seventies, Zoe is their daughter.
The walk is to take place starting on September the 7th, if you felt able to sponsor them in a small (or large) way, it would be wonderful.
Just reply to me by email saying how much per mile you will sponsor them, or a fixed amount if they finish the whole 93 miles!
The funds raised will be used to purchase new school uniform for deaf children from a very poor school in Bucharest!
Many thanks for your continued interest.
Stan Platt
September 2008
Light into Europe featured AGAIN in Oblique Magazine!
We are pleased to report that the current issue of Oblique Magazine featured two stories about Light into Europe.
First of all, the Magazine covered the news of our successful Mid-Summer Festival. We encourage you to read the story in Romanian or English.
We are also thankful for Oblique writing about one of our dear friends, Mary. Our relationship with Mary goes back many years and is one of mutual support and love. Please read the story in Romanian or English.