Our History

The idea for CSC first emerged in early 1992, when Nicholas Fenton, then Director of Childhope, and Trudy Davies, then Research and Liaison Officer to the all-Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development, realised the need for an umbrella organisation for the newly emerging street children charities.

They believed there was a need for a network that could assist in bringing charities together, encouraging co-operation and joint projects in order to meet potential donors’ demand for a good track record, and to form one strong advocacy voice for street children around the world. A best practice research centre and library were also needed.

Watch our founders talk about the vision they had when they formed Consortium for Street Children.

In May 1992, the idea garnered support from the then President of UNICEF, Baroness Ewart-Biggs. The proposal to create CSC was presented to her and Lady Chalker, the then Overseas Development Minister on 27th May 1992.

Nicholas Fenton met with street children NGOs, and proposed forming a network, which was supported with enthusiasm. A small group of founder members was formed, and the group met on 29th May 1992 and formed a committee consisting of Lady Ewart-Biggs, Chair, Nic Fenton, Vice Chair, Trudy Davies, Hon Secretary, Bryan Wood, Hon Treasurer, James Gardner, Surina Narula, Ana Capaldi, Annabel Lloyd, Caroline Levaux and Georgina Vestey.

Initially, the organisation was run from Trudy Davies’ desk in the House of Commons, approved by the Chair of the APPG, but eighteen months later, the Consortium for Street Children was officially launched at 10 Downing Street on November 18th, 1993.

Since 1993 this network has grown from a small fledgling organisation to a force to be reckoned with – the only global network or grass roots organisations working directly with street children. We are now 150+ strong, working in 135 countries, with major supporters recognising the need to see street children as rights holding children, and that we all can play a role in seeing this realised.