User:Louise cullen/Ormiston Children and Families Trust

Ormiston Children and Families Trust is the biggest children's charity in the East of England, working directly with children, young people and families facing challenging times in their lives. Ormiston has over 30 service bases across the East of England including 11 Sure Start Children's Centres in Colchester, Ipswich, Peterborough and rural Cambridgeshire. Ormiston provides support for children and families visiting most of the region's prisons, including HMP Bedford, HMP Blundeston, HMP Bullwood Hall, HMP Bure, HMP Chelmsford, HMP Edmunds Hill, HMP Highpoint, HMP Norwich, HMP Wayland, HMP Warren Hill. Support is also available through community projects, with schools, and with families in their own homes. Ormiston specialises in supporting children and families affected by imprisonment and criminal justice, children and families experiencing prejudice and stigmatisation, such as ethnic minorities, including Gypsies and Travellers. Ormiston works with children and families living with domestic abuse, children and young people living with parental substance misuse, teenage parents and children who have experienced or at risk of emotional harm, physical or sexual abuse.

Ormiston publishes extensive research about the experiences of families living in challenging circumstances and provides a range of resources for professionals, teachers and journalists.

The charity supported over 60,000 young people and their families in 2009-10.

Ormiston Children and Families Trust was founded by the Murray family following the tragic death of Fiona Ormiston Murray on her honeymoon in 1969. They wanted to create a living memorial to a woman who loved children but was denied the chance to have her own. Peter Murray was awarded an OBE for services to children in the New Year's Honours (January 2010).

Ormiston Children and Families Trust is a separate organisation to Ormiston Education, a different charity sponsoring academies and educational activities nationwide.