HISTORY

In 1999 Dr. Chris Tuppen, then head of Corporate Social Responsibility for BT, whilst investigating how a telecoms company can play a role in the global society, visited Deepalaya. He found an organization founded by professional people who had given up relatively well-paid jobs to help poor and deprived children in the city’s slums. With minimum resources, they were running schools, rescuing street kids, integrating children with handicaps into mainstream life and bringing entrepreneurial skills to older children in innovative and self-sustaining ways. He was impressed by what he saw and returned to the UK determined to do something positive for the organization.
A gala charity ball was held in a marquee in Chris’s back garden which raised over £4000.00. Deepalaya paid the amount into an investment fund to support the teaching of ten secondary school children per year for perpetuity.

But it became clear that there was a need for ongoing support and the idea for a UK charity dedicated to supporting Deepalaya’s work was considered. Working closely with Rtn. T.K. Mathew (Ex CEO, Deepalaya) developed the idea. On 14 July 2002, a Declaration of Trust was completed.

The Friends of Deepalaya came into being as a UK Registered Charity, Number 1094080, to further support education and self-reliance amongst the poor in India, relieving poverty, sickness and distress particularly of children in India by improving their condition.