Great Britons in Romania

In my first blog as British Ambassador to Bucharest, I wanted to write a few words about the contribution of some Great Britons to the development of the voluntary sector in Romania. One of the pleasures of my first few weeks at Post has been to meet a range of dedicated Brits who have devoted a large part of their lives to providing help where it is needed.

Already during my language training in Iasi, before I had even started in my new role, I had been introduced to Simon O’Connor, who has been patiently supporting young people with special needs over many years in the community of Siret in the far north east of Romania. I attended the opening ceremony last month of a state of the art palliative care facility in Bucharest, the work of Hospices of Hope and its inspirational founder Graham Perolls, and an incredible feat of charitable fundraising. I have met with Stan Platt, whose Light Into Europe charity trains guide dogs for the blind, and discussed with Ian Tilling of the Casa Ioana NGO my participation in a pre-Christmas soup kitchen for the homeless of Bucharest. I attended a moving church service to mark 25 years of the work of Children in Distress and met some of the many British people who have provided thousands of hours of their time over many years to support sick and terminally ill children. And I’ve met Shajjad Rizvi in Cluj-Napoca, who, amongst many achievements, has helped to introduce the wonderful Duke of Edinburgh International Award to Romania, making great strides in a remarkably short time period.

There are many others. Some I have met, others I look forward to doing so. What unites them all, is that these are people who saw a need. They met Romanians who needed their help and they provided it. Their work has been about practical support, dedication, working tirelessly to overcome obstacles which must have at times seemed dauntless. They are one of the reasons why I am proud to be an Ambassador of the United Kingdom.