GOING STRONG 100 YEARS ON.

Byline: By JOSIE BUNTING South Wales Echo

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Dr Barnardo. And a century later Barnardo's Cymru is still going strong. The Echo reported his death on September 20 1905, with the headline 'Dr Barnardo - Famous Philanthropist Dead'. Photographs from that article showed Dr Barnardo with his wife and writing at his desk.

The original Echo report reveals he was eating a light meal and writing correspondence when he suffered an angina attack. He was 60 .

Dr Barnardo provided homes and foster care to destitute children.

This included the Cardiff Ever Open Door Home on Moira Terrace, which opened in 1892.

Thomas Barnardo was born in 1845 in Dublin.

He was seen as an exceptional man of his generation. While Victorians believed poverty was the fault of the individual, Dr Barnardo felt every child deserved a good start in life.

He arrived in London in 1866 to see a city struggling to cope following the Industrial Revolution.

A school allowing children a basic education was set up in 1867, and in 1870 his first home for boys was opened.

After an 11-year-old boy turned away because the shelter was full was then found dead, the home displayed the sign 'No destitute child ever refused admission'.

The philosophy that every child deserves the best start in life regardless of their background continues to inspire the charity today.

In 2005 Barnardo's Cymru has a number of projects across South Wales and is one of Wales' leading children's charities.

While no longer running children's homes, the charity now works in the community helping vulnerable and disadvantaged children and to keep families together Barnardo's Cymru runs 39 projects in Wales, including ten in and around Cardiff. These include projects for young carers, disabled children and young people leaving care.

They also run family and activity centres, fostering and adoption services and a project for young people who sexually harm others.

Raymond Ciborowski is the current director of Barnardo's Cymru.

He said: 'It's testament to the amazing work started by Dr Thomas Barnardo that his charity is still thriving. It is thanks to his vision that Barnardo's Cymru today helps thousands of children, young people and families across Wales.'