24 years ago a young man from Devon came for 3 months to work in an orphanage in Cernavoda, those three months changed his life and the life of those children more than anyone could imagine.

For the last 24 years Nightingales has cared for hundreds of children and young adults, provided often life changing volunteering opportunities for a large amount of people and employment for over 50 members of the local community, all this would not have happened if it had not been for one man, who has had the drive, ambition and the fight to make this possible, David Savage, MBE.

Yesterday David celebrated his 49^th birthday, his last before he has spent more of his life in Romania than he has in England!! It is hard to put into words the effect that David has had on the lives of the young people who lived in Cernavoda orphanage and those families he, and Nightingales, have supported in the community. The majority of his work, will go unknown and unnoticed, (until we persuade him to write his autobiography), but the effect can be clearly seen in the lives of the young people today, lives that have been radically changed from 1992. Young children living with no hope, and little or no love waiting for the next of their friends to pass away; who today are active members of the communities they live in all across Europe. They are now mothers to children, hardworking employees and most importantly young people who live in the knowledge that they are living a better future, than they could have imagined back in 1992!

David will take none of the credit for what he and Nightingales have achieved, saying it was down to a group of people, or it could not have been done without certain people, which is true he had an amazing team of workers, helpers and employees during the 1990’s; people who are still actively supporting the charity today, but David is still here, with 24 years of experience and now the support of an amazing wife and 2 beautiful children, still helping these young people, he is definitely the glue that holds Nightingales together.

Happy Birthday, thank you from all the young people you have helped, thank you from all the volunteers who you have given amazing opportunities to and thank you for holding Nightingales together for the last 24 years!!