A charity that works to increase sport and play opportunities for disadvantaged children and disabled adults has established its headquarters in Barry after being donated free office space by the COS Group.
World at Play, a charity that was founded by graduates of UWC Atlantic College in the Vale of Glamorgan, has taken 40 sq ft of office space at COS Group’s HQ and will benefit from the use of state-of-the-art meeting rooms, free printing and storage space.
Having been a major supporter of World at Play since its formation in 2002, this is the latest step taken by the COS Group to assist the charity, which runs philanthropic humanitarian expeditions across the world to run play and sport activities to the children that need it most.
Since its first expedition in 2004, the COS Group has been a primary sponsor of the charity’s three expeditions helping them reach over 5,000 children in 9 countries.
David Emery, Director of COS Group, said: “Play, although a fairly basic concept, is fundamental to a child’s development but it is often forgotten in countries that have witnessed economic hardship and other social problems. We have seen the impact that World at Play has had on thousands of children and some of the poorest communities across the world. The economic climate is continuing to prove difficult for many charities and we want to ensure that the fantastic work that World at Play does is sustained so that many more children and communities realise the benefits of playing and sport. We are delighted to have World at Play based at our headquarters in Barry and wish them every success in their next expedition.”
With the goal of creating a lasting benefit in the communities in which it works, World at Play is now preparing for its fourth expedition in September which will go to Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo and Romania. A team of nine volunteers from the charity will run sessions of sport and play with disadvantaged and disabled children and young people, and work with local staff and volunteers to increase year-round opportunities.
Sion Lanini of World at Play said: “We are very proud of our Welsh roots so it’s great to have a solid base in Wales for the charity going forward. We owe a great many thanks to COS Group for their offer of office space and their continued help with our expeditions. Without their support, which has been both financial and logistical, we would not be where we are today with three successful expeditions under our belt and one in the pipeline. Because of them we have been able to reach out to well over 5,000 children helping to develop confidence, international understanding and a lasting benefit to those communities.
“We’re keen to build more links with schools in Wales to spread the ideas of diversity and international understanding through the medium of play at home, just as we do abroad and having this base will allow us to do so. We’re keen to hear from local organisations that work with children in Wales and would like to work together going forward.”
Founded in 1968, the COS Group employs 38 staff through its five divisions – COS Office, COS Interiors, COS Print, Natural Power and Pitch Promos.
For more information visit the COS Group website or follow the company on twitter @cosgroup
