Three centuries of creating change for children: Coram Group Digest 2016-17

This year, Coram benefited more than one million children, families and professionals. Work also started on building The Queen Elizabeth II Centre, which will open in 2018 as we celebrate the 350th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Coram, our founder and key historic champion of children’s rights.

The Digest of Achievements summarises outcomes and progress during 2016–17, which has seen Coram play a significant role across the UK and in 46 other countries worldwide.

Key Achievements

  • Coram was instrumental in 10% of adoptions in England.
  • LawStuff was launched to ensure young people have clear and easy access to information about their legal rights.
  • Coram published the Seeking Support Toolkit to support all those working with unaccompanied, migrant, and refugee children.
  • Coram’s Adoption Activity Days found loving homes for more than 120 children who had been waiting for adoption the longest.
  • Brexit: children’s rights at risk or opportunity in the global era? highlighted the key issues for children in Britain’s transition from the EU.
  • The Respected and Protected exhibition in London’s Central Family Court examined Coram’s role in the advancement of children’s rights.
  • Coram Life Education launched its online curriculum resources known as SCARF and secured more than 8,000 registrations.As part of the Bright Spots project, Coram Voice and Bristol University published Our Lives, Our Care, the first report designed by children in care – rather than carers and professionals – to examine how the care system does and should look.
  • Work has commenced on the construction of The Queen Elizabeth II Centre, which will become a hub for information exchange in the field of children’s welfare and rights.