Lumos is J.K. Rowling’s charity supporting vulnerable children.
Rowling founded the organization in 2005 under the name Children’s High Level Group, working with European Parliament member Emma Nicholson. It was renamed Lumos in 2010, taking its name from the light-producing spell in the Harry Potter books. The charity works to end the institutionalization of children and promote family- and community-based care.
Lumos focuses on children separated from their families through poverty, disability, conflict, or other circumstances. Its work includes advocacy, research, and support for reforms intended to replace large residential institutions with safer family and community settings. The organization operates internationally rather than functioning simply as a local children’s home.
The name can cause confusion because “Lumos” is also a spell in the Harry Potter universe that creates light from a wand. The charity’s name uses that association symbolically, connecting the idea of light with helping children move toward better care and protection. Rowling has supported several other charitable causes, but Lumos is the organization most directly founded by her.