Joanna Lumley, long time supporter of Kids Company, will be opening the new Morgan Stanley Heart Yard with Camila Batmanghelidjh on 30 April.
The Morgan Stanley Heart Yard will provide thousands of children with one-to-one therapeutic support to help them overcome a childhood disrupted by violence, abuse and neglect.
It will be a key addition to the existing Kids Company centres and is paramount to the essential work carried out by the organisation.
There are 1.5million children being maltreated in the UK. Kids Company struggles to support the thousands of children in London who come to us for therapeutic support to deal with their trauma. Kids Company asked for Morgan Stanley’s help to fund a therapy house where they could provide a vital lifeline to help the children recover.
Morgan Stanley and its employees raised over £1.6 million, and through their generosity, Kids Company has now purchased and renovated its first fully owned property – the Morgan Stanley Heart Yard. The funds raised will also help the charity with the operating costs for the building.
The Morgan Stanley Heart Yard, which will open in May 2013, will deliver psychiatric support, child and adolescent therapy, counselling and complementary treatments to thousands of vulnerable and abused young people.
Kids Company Founder and CEO, Camila Batmanghelidjh commented: "Children who have been chronically maltreated carry invisible scars. They do their best to survive, but the loneliness caused by abuse remains a lifelong challenge. Through our trauma recovery programmes, we hope to equip children with the skills to cope and regain resilience. It's a painful journey for workers and children, so the friendship and kindness of Morgan Stanley is a gift. The Morgan Stanley Heart Yard was generated through love, every brick evidence of a stranger's compassion. Banks have not received much praise over the past few years, but this project has given Morgan Stanley and its team a special place in Kids Company’s heart."
Colm Kelleher, President of Institutional Securities, Morgan Stanley said: “When Morgan Stanley formed its partnership with Kids Company in 2011, our aim was to make a tangible and lasting contribution to the charity. By raising the funds to acquire, renovate and operate the Morgan Stanley Heart Yard, our employees have helped to provide a permanent base in which Kids Company can continue to deliver its vital work with thousands of children, and we are proud and honoured to have contributed to such an invaluable and important cause”.
About Kids Company
Founded in 1996 by Camila Batmanghelidjh, Kids Company (registered charity no. 1068298) provides practical, emotional and education support to vulnerable children and young people. Many of the 36,000 they support have experienced multiple trauma and neglect and live in severe deprivation. Their work brings hope to incredibly courageous individuals and through unrelenting support they help them to lead rewarding and meaningful lives.
Kids Company’s services are delivered across six centres and 40 schools in deprived communities. They put in place wraparound care for deeply traumatised children and young people who are living on the margins of society and invisible to statutory services. Kids Company’s work ranges from providing clothing and food to therapeutic support, education, training and securing future employment.
87% Kids Company’s users face emotional and mental health difficulties
83% have sustained trauma
82% have problems with substance misuse
(Gaskell, 2008, Queen Mary, University of London).
In 2007 Kids Company was awarded the Liberty and JUSTICE Human Rights Award. In 2010 they were selected as a ‘Child Poverty Champion’ by the End Child Poverty project for their success in enabling children to achieve their full potential.
The Morgan Stanley International Foundation
The Morgan Stanley International Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Morgan Stanley in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Since its inception in 1994, the Foundation has been making contributions to charitable and non profit organisations where Morgan Stanley has a presence, focused on children’s health and education. The Foundation supports young people aged 0-21 and strives to ensure that more children have access to quality healthcare and educational programmes, enabling them to have a more meaningful life.
Morgan Stanley has a strong tradition of supporting its charity partners, including The Prince’s Trust and past beneficiaries such as Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity, the British Heart Foundation and Age Concern. For further information about the Morgan Stanley International Foundation please visit www.morganstanley.com/msif
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals from more than 1,200 offices in 43 countries. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.
Contacts:
Marianna Davis, Kids Company, 020 7202 2700 or marianna.davis@kidsco.org.uk
Tom Walton, Morgan Stanley, 020 7425 5658 or tom.walton@morganstanley.com