Coram

Improving the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people

Coram's partnership with the Pears Foundation is exceptionally important to us. They were the lead funder on the development of our new centre for creative therapy and adoption support - the Pears Pavilion - but they have also taken the time to get to know other areas of our work with vulnerable children and families. In doing so, they have generously chosen to support several pieces of Coram's ongoing work, including direct therapeutic services, legal advice and representation for marginalised young people and expansion of our volunteer-based literacy programme. We can't thank Trevor, Amy, Kari and their team enough for their transformational support to Coram and their wider philanthropic leadership.
Dr Carol Homden CBE, Chief Executive,
Coram
We believe that everyone has a right to a fulfilling life, whatever their circumstances. Coram’s unique approach to providing holistic, family-centred support helps some of the most disadvantaged children in the UK to find loving homes, overcome traumatic pasts and achieve their potential.
Sir Trevor Pears CMG

Partner since: 2013

Funding invested: £2.5million

  • Core: Creative therapies; Migrant Children’s Project; Coram Beanstalk
  • Project: DCMS Volunteering Futures Fund; Coram Beanstalk
  • Capital: Pears Pavilion; Coram Institute

Pears Foundation is committed to improving and sustaining wellbeing, especially for young people. We fund partners who provide support to families facing challenging circumstances from mental health to special educational needs and disability to poverty and social disadvantage.

Coram works with some of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people, offering them practical help and emotional support.

Established by Thomas Coram as The Foundling Hospital in the eighteenth century, Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity and has been supporting vulnerable children for over 280 years. Coram is now a group of specialist organisations helping more than a million children, young people, families and professionals every year.

Coram works across a wide range of children’s social care services, from adoption and fostering to legal support and from advocacy to life education.

As part of a major redevelopment of Coram’s central London site, we provided capital funding to create the Pears Pavilion – a purpose-built home for the charity’s Creative Therapies and adoption support services – and core funding to support the services delivered within it.

The Creative Therapies team works with children, young people and their families, using music, art therapy and other approaches, to empower them to build skills and emotional resilience. Children who access the service have shown significant improvement in their ability to relate to adults and peers, and in their attention and awareness.

Coram has a unique approach to adoption support that aims to provide parents with the skills and assistance they will need to raise children who have suffered abuse, neglect or other adversity. Its team of specialist social workers provides life-long support to all its families.

Pears Foundation also supports Coram’s Migrant Children’s Project and Coram Beanstalk, a national reading charity that trains and supports volunteers to work with children in schools and offers training and support to parents and wider school communities.