What was the original name of the charity that J.K. Rowling founded before it became Lumos?

The original name of the charity that J.K. Rowling founded before it became Lumos was the Children’s High Level Group.

Rowling co-founded the organization in 2005 with politician Emma Nicholson. It was created to help children separated from their families and living in institutions, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. The group worked to promote family-based care and improve children’s rights.

The organization changed its name to Lumos in 2010. The new name refers to the Latin word for light and also echoes the light-producing spell “Lumos” in the Harry Potter books. The charity’s name therefore connects its public identity with Rowling’s fiction while emphasizing its goal of bringing children out of institutional care.

Lumos is independent from the Harry Potter publishing business. Its work focuses on children’s welfare, family support, and replacing institutions with community-based care.