Vogue Toy Story raises 605,000 euros for the Naked Heart Foundation

A charitable auction organised by Vogue Russia and the Naked Heart Foundation raised 605,000 for the charity. The funds will help the NHF create support services for families with disabled children as well as build more children’s play facilities in Russia.

The event took place on December the 3rd at the famous Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. The unique lots for the auction, one-off toys, were designed specially for this occasion by Russia’s most celebrated designers. Ulyana Sergeenko, Vika Gazinskaya and Alexander Terekhov among them. Yana Raskovalova’s porcelain doll alone raised 75 thousand euros and became the most expensive lot of the auction led by Christie’s.

It wasn’t the first time Vogue Russia helped the Naked Heart Foundation fundraise. In September 2012 during Vogue’s Fashion Night Out special edition T-shirts were sold in Moscow & St Petersburg with all proceeds going to fund the charity’s International Forum for therapists and social workers who work with disabled children.

Among the projects the NHF is focusing on in 2013 are building tens of play parks including the charity’s 100th play facility; creating support centres for families with disabled children; providing funding for inclusive summer camps as well as educational and legal support in the field of learning disabilities in Russia.

 Toy Story Photo Album 

(click to see)

Naked Heart Foundation reviews the Every Child Deserves a Family forum

The international Every Child Deserves a Family forum, organized by the Naked Heart Foundation, concluded on 17 October 2012 with a showing of Lyubov Arkus’s documentary film, “Anton’s Right Here”.

More than 350 child development specialists from eight countries and over 40 Russian towns came together in Moscow for the forum, which focused on issues of modern and effective support for children with disorders such as autism, Down’s syndrome and cerebral palsy.

The unique work undertaken at the forum brought together professionals working with children with special needs, orphans and foster families, as well as parents and representatives from state authorities. The forum was opened by the President of the Naked Heart Foundation, Natalia Vodianova, and the Children’s Rights Commissioner for the President of the Russian Federation, Pavel Astakhov.

Also taking part in events were television presenter Vladimir Posner, director Avdotya Smirnova, actor and father of a child with cerebral palsy Sergei Belogolovtsev, director and father of a child with autism Bakur Bakuradze, television presenter Anton Komolov, gallery owner Irina Meglinskaya, journalists Valery Panyushkin and Andrei Loshak and many others.  

Natalia Vodianova (President of the Naked Heart Foundation):

"Do you not think that there are certain double standards in terms of people's perception of this issue? If for any reason a mother made the decision to abandon a healthy child, society would unanimously condemn her. But when she abandons a child with a disability, that same society not only accepts her decision, but vindicates it!"

Members of the Naked Heart Foundation expert committee, who led the main workshops at the forum, shared their thoughts on the outcome of the event.

Maria Ternovskaya, Director of the Pro Mama Centre, Moscow (Leader of the workshop “Professional support for orphaned children and foster families”):

“The forum is unique. For the first time in years, everyone has come together on one platform – specialists working with children with special needs, human rights defenders and representatives from state authorities. Until now, representatives from each of those areas met amongst themselves and did not manage to have a full and comprehensive discussion of the problem. But everyone is united here, which has the effect of synergy.

The issue of creating professional services to work with vulnerable families and children is an urgent one. Although a support system exists, it is institutionalized.”

Svyatoslav Dovbnya, Child Neurologist; Tatiana Morozova, Clinical Psychologist (Leaders of the workshop “Early intervention programmes”):

“We realized that there was a very great demand for parenting skills, but that until recently, this question was just not considered. Issues such as the provision of foster and adoptive care and Foetal Alcohol Syndrome received a huge response.

For specialists in our field, one of the main problems remains that of ensuring the continuation of work during the child’s transition from early intervention programmes to preschool programmes.

I should say though, that certain progress has been made in the field of early intervention. For example, not so long ago the Russian Association for Early Intervention was set up. There has been an attempt to standardize requirements and procedures.”

Anna Bitova, Director of the Centre for Curative Pedagogics, Moscow (Leader of the workshop “Innovative approaches to the education and rehabilitation of children with special needs”)”:

“Many people have approached me and said that our workshop, and the forum as a whole, has been an opportunity for the professional community to get an idea of new trends and new working methods.

It is obvious that there is a very great demand for information regarding new methods of working with children with autism and multiple developmental disorders. It is clear that people want to know more, but that there is a lack of literature and information. It has become evident that although some good progress has been made in this area in Moscow and St. Petersburg, thousands of children with multiple special needs living in the provinces receive virtually no support.”

Maria Ostrovskaya, Clinical Psychologist, Director of the St. Petersburg charity “Perspectivy” (Leader of the workshop “Children with severe disabilities and features of deinstitutionalization”):

“We have discussed various models of support for children with disabilities living in specialized children’s homes and for foster and adoptive families who have decided to take these children in.

The unanimous view is this – children’s homes must be completely transparent and open to community representatives. Inside these institutions, the set-up should be as similar to a family environment as possible. This view was echoed not only by representatives from non-profit organizations but also by directors of children’s homes and state representatives taking part in the forum.

In the long term, children’s homes must be transformed into family support centres and children from the homes must move into families. However, this will take more than 10 years.”

The response from experts and participants convinced the forum organizers that it should take place on a yearly basis.

‘The Naked Heart Foundation’ has opened three new play parks

All at once, three new play facilities built by The Naked Heart Foundation have opened in the past week in Kaliningrad, Sovetskaya Gavan and Yakutsk. This brings the total number of our play parks and play grounds in Russia to 74.

These new play facilities are unique and equipped with everything necessary for children of all ages and abilities, from the youngest of children to teenagers, including those with special needs.

The grand opening of the play park in Kaliningrad took place on 11^th September. On September 15^th, Natalia Vodianova, the president of the Foundation, personally flew to the opening of the park in Sovetskaya Gavan, Khabarovsk Krai, and on the following day, September 16^th, Natalia opened the play park in the centre of Yakutsk.

The play park in Kaliningrad has a 24 meters three-masted play ‘frigate’ ship, new swings, wendy houses, roundabouts, sandpits and benches for parents.

The playgrounds in Sovetskaya Gavan and Yakutsk are bigger, and are additionally equipped with skateboard ramps for teenagers.

All of The Naked Heart Foundation’s play parks and playgrounds are equipped with a special play area for children with special needs.

In the near future, play facilities will also be opening in Melnikovo (Tomsk Oblast), Uryupinsk (Volgograd Oblast), and Gusinoozersk (Republic of Buryatia).

As a rule, The Naked Heart Foundation’s playgrounds are funded by two sources: through the Foundation itself, and through the budgets of local governments that have sent a request for the play parks to be built.

The Naked Heart Foundation invested 5,332,834 RUB into the Kaliningrad project, 6161 934.20 RUB into the Yakutsk project, and 10 713 268.84 RUB into the Sovetskaya Gavan project.

Naked Heart takes part in celebration of Russian Paralympians

The Naked Heart Foundation and BOSCO – General Partner of the Russian Paralympic Committee – celebrated the Russian medallists of the London  2012 Paralympic Games at the historic “GUM” building on Moscow’s Red Square.  

The Foundation’s President, Natalia Vodianova, is Ambassador to the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games.

Before the reception began, the Olympic champions visited two themed photographic exhibitions , located at the GUM state department store - a special project entitled “Infinite Possibilities”, undertaken by Glamour magazine in partnership with Natalia Vodianova’s Naked Heart Foundation and the “Paralympic Games day by day” project, organized by BOSCO in cooperation with sports news agency “R-Sport”.

The medallists wrote autographs and well wishes on photographic portraits of themselves and reminded visitors to GUM that, with desire and hard work, it is always possible to make a change in life for the better.

After the improvised autograph session, the Olympic champions attended a celebratory dinner and concert.  

The athletes were welcomed by Vladimir Lukin, President of the Russian Paralympic Committee, Pavel Rozhkov, first Vice-President and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Russian Paralympic Committee and Mikhail Kusnirovich, the creator and inspiration behind the BOSCO brand.  Natalia Vodianova, Ambassador to the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games, welcomed the athletes via video message. Once again, they all noted the social importance of the athletes’ achievement. The Russian Paralympic Committee also wished the champions future success in all their undertakings.  

During the London Paralympic Games alone, the Russian athletes won a total of 102 medals, doubling their total from the 2008 Beijing Games, and for the first time in history guaranteed Russia second place in the unofficial overall team ratings. The athletes stepped onto the top of the podium 36 times wearing a kit designed by BOSCO, the exclusive outfitter for the Russian Paralympic team.  

Until 30 September, all  visitors to GUM will be able to visit the unique photography exhibitions located at GUM department store.

Naked Heart Foundation partners with Fashion's Night Out

As an official partner of Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out, the Naked Heart Foundation benefits from a number of charitable contributions.

In addition to Vogue, UGG® Australia, Ulyana Sergeenko, Furla, Prada, Kira Plastinina and Kiehl’s are among the companies who have offered to help and support the work of the Foundation.

The FNO organizers have launched a range of limited edition t-shirts featuring portraits of Natalia Vodianova by artists Andrey Bartenev, Daria Fursei and Gabi Trinkaus. Vogue intends to dedicate all profits to the Naked Heart.

As part of a joint fundraising effort with the Foundation, UGG® Australia is, for every pair of shoes sold between the 6 and 7 September, sending a second pair to the Ekaterinburg psychoneurological home . 

Designer Ulyana Sergeenko has created the “Natalia” dress specifically for FNO, all profits from which will go to the Foundation.

In cooperation with Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Russia, Victoria Davydova, Furla has developed a design for the “Natasha” bag, named after Natalia Vodianova. All profits from sales of the bag will be donated to the Foundation.

The Naked Heart will also receive part of the profits from sales of LUBLU Kira Plastinina umbrellas and a percentage of Prada’s general sales during Fashion’s Night Out.

In addition, founder of the Yana brand, jeweler Yana Raskovalova, has created a bracelet, all profits from which be donated to the Foundation.  

All the money raised will go towards organizing the international forum, “Every Child Deserves a Family”, which will be held from 15 to 17 October 2012.