Charities
🌞Charities in Northern Cyprus — who’s helping, how they work, and how you can get involved
________________________________________
👍Introduction — the small island, big heart
Northern Cyprus supports a lively network of charities, volunteer groups and NGOs working on everything from child welfare and refugee support to animal rescue, environmental protection and arts & cultural inclusion. Because of the island’s unique political status and a mix of local and international actors, many charities operate in close partnership with community volunteers, international NGOs and bi-communal initiatives.
________________________________________
✅Major sectors and notable organisations
✅Child welfare & family support
👉 SOS Children’s Villages — Northern Cyprus: long-standing programmes supporting children without parental care, family-strengthening projects and youth services. They’ve been active on the island since the 1990s and remain one of the most visible child-welfare organisations. Built in Lefkosa in 1993, today, as well as the Village, they have an SOS Youth Facility, an SOS Nursery and an SOS Social Centre. Family Strengthening Programme enables children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a caring family environment. Children live with a family in a warm and safe house, are encouraged to become active community members, and provided with education and life training they need to become independent adults.
________________________________________
✅Health & Wellness
👉 NCCCT – North Cyprus Cancer Charity Trust: Formed late 1980s. Provides medical equipment to help cancer patients in state hospitals.
👉 TULIPS - Help Those With Cancer Association: support all kinds of cancer and provide practical and emotional support to the patient and their families during cancer treatment and after the treatment period.
TULIPS can help answer all your questions, so that any decision you make about when and where you'll have your treatment, will be an informed decision based on the facts given to you and help guide you through the approximate costs you'll incur. TULIPS is helping some 1,800 patients at any one time and receive approx 700 new patients per year. Fundraising is not just a means of raising money but also a way to raise awareness of the charity and its goals. They're constantly looking for new donors and always on the lookout for new events or ideas to raise funds. If you've an idea for an event or wish to run one in aid of Tulips, then please contact them.
________________________________________
✅Refugee, migrant & humanitarian support
👉 Caritas Cyprus and refugee support groups: local Caritas branches and other refugee-focused NGOs provide humanitarian assistance, legal guidance, integration support and emergency relief for asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants. These groups often work cross-island and with international partners.
________________________________________
✅Animal welfare & rescue
👉 Freedom Sanctuary (Freedom Dog & Cat Rescue) and Kyrenia Animal Rescue (KAR): two of the best-known animal welfare charities in Northern Cyprus. They run shelters, spay/neuter programmes, foster systems and international rehoming/fundraising drives — and rely heavily on volunteers and donations.
🐢SPOT - Society for Protection of Turtles - founded in the late 1980s, provided accommodation on land at Alagadi, which is still used by the Marine Turtle Conservation Project (MTCP).
Environment, wildlife and conservation
👉Local projects focus on turtle protection (nesting beaches), habitat conservation and periodic clean-ups. These are often seasonal and volunteer-driven, with partnerships between local NGOs and international conservation bodies.
________________________________________
✅Civil society, human rights & equality
👥Organisations such as the Queer Cyprus Association (QCA) and newer civil-society initiatives (SiTi and similar groups) work on human rights, equality, democratic governance and community education. Smaller grassroots groups play a vital role in awareness raising and policy advocacy.
________________________________________
✅Ex-Pat Societies & Groups
👉ATA - Anglo Turkish Association: One of the largest NGO's in TRNC. Non-profit making, it aims to promote understanding and mutual respect between expats and locals. Membership is open to all English speakers who live for at least part of the year in TRNC. It has important cultural, educational and charitable aims, and also organises social gatherings, lectures, seminars, concerts, exhibitions and excursions which are also open to non-members.
👉BRS - British Residents’ Society: Established 1975, provides support and advice for British passport holders. Has direct access to the British High Commission and to Government Departments of the TRNC and enjoys their support.
👉CESV - Civil Emergency Service Volunteers: Local and expat volunteers who assist emergency services and work in conjunction with Civil Defence.
👉RBL - Royal British Legion, Kyrenia Branch: Formed 1st October 2011 and currently has over 300 members.
👉TFR - The Foreign Residents in the TRNC: Formed in 1998. Participate in the maintenance of the international cemeteries.
________________________________________
🌸 How charities operate in Northern Cyprus
👥Volunteer base: many groups are volunteer-heavy and run community shops, fundraising events and weekly animal-care rotas. Volunteers are often the lifeblood of local charities.
💰Funding & registration: funding is a mix of local donations, charity shop income, overseas sponsorship and grants. Because of political/recognition complexities on the island, some international funders route support through Cyprus-wide channels or partner NGOs. The NGO Support Centre and regional networks help strengthen CSOs and offer training and grant support.
⭐Cross-border & international work: several charities coordinate with organisations on the Republic of Cyprus side, with European partners, or with global NGOs for specialist support (e.g., refugee services, emergency aid).
________________________________________
👩⚕️How you can help (concrete ways)
✅Donate — direct donations to shelters (Freedom, KAR) or to recognised projects are the fastest way to help animals and vulnerable people. Use official channels (websites or verified social pages).
✅Volunteer — from walking dogs and cleaning shelters to teaching English, event fundraising and admin support. Most charities list volunteer pages or Facebook groups; contact them directly.
✅Sponsor or foster — many animal charities run sponsorship and foster schemes that are easier and cheaper than full adoption, and greatly reduce shelter pressure.
✅Fundraise or host a collection point — local charity shops, pub quizzes, and community events are common fundraising tools on the island. If you run a business, consider a regular collection jar or a cause day.
✅Skill-share & pro bono — charities often need bookkeeping, web help, legal advice, translation and marketing — offer a few hours if you can.
________________________________________
⚠️Due diligence & practical tips before donating or volunteering
📌Check legitimacy: confirm the charity’s website, social accounts, charity registration number (if available) and recent activity. Some groups publish annual reports or news updates.
📌Ask how funds will be used: transparent organisations will explain whether donations pay for food, veterinary care, emergency shelter, legal aid, or programme costs.
📌Be mindful of cross-border complications: because of the island’s divided status, some services and funding channels are more straightforward on the Republic of Cyprus side. If you need tax receipts or gift-aid, confirm cross-jurisdiction acceptability.
________________________________________
🌸 Final thoughts
The charity sector in Northern Cyprus is a patchwork of passionate volunteers, local NGOs and a few international partners. Whether your interest is animal welfare, child protection, refugee aid or environmental conservation, there’s almost always a local group that will welcome help — even a few hours, a small donation, or a social-media share can make a visible difference. Start local, do a quick check, and you’ll find many warm, practical ways to help the island’s communities and wildlife.