A Herts-based humanitarian charity is hoping to bring in a windfall of cash for its overseas causes in celebration of its 20th anniversary.

Tucked away in Bucklersbury in Hitchin, Humanitas works tirelessly to bring basic rights to those living in impoverished and perilous conditions. In celebration of their milestone birthday, Humanitas has launched an appeal to raise £20,000 to help look after orphaned and abandoned children in Romania.

When she was just 18 years old, Humanitas' chief operations officer Sarah Wade - who hails from Harpenden - took a trip to Romania to volunteer to care for the children living in the orphanages.

The abuse and neglect that she witnessed in her short stay before returning to England was "barbaric and inhumane’".

Sarah then made the decision to move to Romania to set up a charity in 2001, with the aim of getting the children out of the orphanages and into loving homes.

By 2005, she had raised enough money to build ‘Safe Homes’ – two family centred residential homes for orphaned and abandoned children, some of whom have special needs.

Sarah said: "I wanted to create homes where the children would receive the care, therapy and medical attention that they needed to help them to overcome the years of abuse that they had suffered, but also to live in a warm and loving home environment."

Humanitas' positive impact is as clear as day; those living in the safe homes can all communicate through speech or sign. Two of the boys - who were told they would never walk - can now be found in the garden playing football or jumping on the trampoline.

Many of the children are attending mainstream school, are becoming budding artists and dancers and are happy - something that wouldn't have been possible without Humanitas' intervention.

These children are now teenagers, and the charity is facing a difficult challenge – to find the funds to secure their futures.

Sarah explained: "The monthly costs of running our Safe Homes has risen considerably since 2005, and over the years there has been a downward trend in giving to projects in Romania.

"The TV crews and media have left, but the children that were living in the orphanages still need homes."

Humanitas' UK director Jo Wearne said: "It is difficult to express how passionately we feel about protecting the future for these children.

"After what they have lived through, and the challenges that they still live with, we believe that they deserve a future that is about thriving and not simply surviving."

The charity working to raise £20,000 to establish a Romania Trust Fund - which will support their children into independent adulthood and continue to care for those that need it.

Donations can be made online at humanitascharity.enthuse.com/20years or by cheque to Jo Wearne, Humanitas, 31 Bucklersbury, Hitchin, SG5 1BG.