What is the original name of the charity now known as Lumos, founded by J.K. Rowling in 2005?

The charity now known as Lumos was originally called the Children’s High Level Group.

J.K. Rowling co-founded the Children’s High Level Group in 2005 with Emma Nicholson, a member of the European Parliament. The organization focused on improving the lives of children separated from their families and placed in institutions, especially in Central and Eastern Europe.

The group changed its name to Lumos in 2010. The new name refers to a light-producing spell in the Harry Potter books, but the charity’s work is grounded in child welfare rather than fiction. Lumos campaigns for family-based care and against the unnecessary institutionalization of children.

The organization’s name can be confused with Rowling’s personal charitable donations or with fictional organizations from the Harry Potter series. The key distinction is that the Children’s High Level Group was the charity’s original real-world name before the Lumos rebrand.