Beginnings
Sorrow
The fund was set up in 1992 after the stillbirth of Natalya Leighton, daughter of trustees Andrew & Chris. A funeral was held, and donations were invited in lieu of flowers. The initial thought was to use the money to buy equipment for the maternity unit at the Royal Gwent Hospital in South Wales, but it became clear that the hospital was well supplied with essential items and it did not seem appropriate to spend the money on non-essentials.
Stepping Into the Breach
After some networking a Lithuanian hospital was found to have a serious need for a pulse oximeter, an instrument used to monitor oxygen levels in a patient’s blood – essential for premature babies. Equipment for Charity Hospitals Overseas (ECHO) could source the item; the British Lithuanian Relief Fund for Children in Lithuania could transport it safely to the hospital. So the arrangements were made and the item delivered. Who knows what effect that had in those days between Soviet domination and EU membership? At the time it was the only device of its type in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit – before then oxygen levels were measured by analysing blood samples, the delay increasing the risk of blindness or brain damage if levels were too high or low.
A Life of its Own
After providing the pulse oximeter the fund was almost empty, and it was always intended to close it down. However, the school which Natalya’s sister attended now wanted to contribute. Tutshill Church of England Primary School had been committed to supporting another charity when Natalya’s funeral took place, and so was unable to contribute then. Andrew & Chris therefore decided to keep the fund open and, thinking that it was beginning to take on a life of its own, to register it as a charity. Registration was achieved in 1994, with a charitable object of helping children and young people in central and Eastern Europe. There were four trustees, including Andrew & Chris.
Development
Since then Natalya’s Fund has worked with YWAM (Youth With a Mission) in Russia, Love Russia, and other organisations. In 1996, in conjunction with Brewhouse Music, a recording of a live performance of Lithuanian music by a Lithuanian composer was released on CD and cassette to raise money for the Vilnius University Children’s Hospital. (More details here.)
In 2006 the charitable object was expanded to include underprivileged children and young people anywhere overseas.