What name did J.K. Rowling give the charity she founded in 2005 to help vulnerable children?

J.K. Rowling gave her 2005 charity the name Children’s High Level Group.

Rowling co-founded the organization with Emma Nicholson, Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, after becoming concerned about children living in institutions in Eastern Europe. Its original purpose was to improve children’s rights and promote family-based care instead of institutionalization.

The organization later became known as Lumos. The name refers to the Latin word for light and also echoes the magical spell “Lumos” in the Harry Potter books. Lumos works internationally on ending the institutionalization of children and supporting family and community care.

The charity’s original name is easy to confuse with its later public identity. Children’s High Level Group was the 2005 name; Lumos became the organization’s established name later. Rowling has remained closely associated with its charitable mission.