Few of us have experience of dealing with the massive challenges facing some children who are born into adverse circumstances. The Opal Foundation exists to improve the life chances of these children and the Opal Property Group is proud of the children who have already benefited from the activities of the Charity.  This has included substantial donations to Manchester Children’s Hospital, bringing music and personal achievement to around 300 children from challenging environments, through the Opal Choir Project, and intervening in Ethiopia to provide housing for ex-leprosy sufferers as well as improved school facilities.

Last year saw growth of the charity from being entirely dependant on the Opal Property Group, to adoption of the work of the Opal Foundation staff, customers and partners. As a result of massive fundraising efforts we were able to raise £25,000 to provide safe water to 5,000 people in South Omo, one of the poorest regions of the world.  

This year has seen the development of fundraising to support child centred charities at a local level.  We have also identified another major project in the Kechene slum in Addis Ababa. Working through AMREF our partners in Ethiopia, we will be seeking to raise £30,000 to build safe water, latrines and showers. Less than 13% of the slum dwellers have access to safe water with the consequence of high mortality among children, with 109 deaths out of every 1,000 born, before the age of 5.  

To help the process, we will be running at least one formal workshop for the training of staff, customers and partners interested in fundraising.  In addition, we have created a new logo to represent the partnership of staff, Opal Partners and children, working for and supported by the Opal Foundation.