02/01/2026
Long Post - lots to say :)
TL;DR:
Sunflower has funded and delivered many community projects over the years, including support for children with special needs, medical facilities, elderly care, mountain rescue, and Ukrainian refugees. Thanks to community donations, it has made a meaningful local impact. As Bansko has grown and ongoing project needs have decreased, Sunflower has become dormant at the end of 2025 and will no longer be fundraising and accepting donations. The charity may restart if future needs arise, and new volunteers are welcome to take it over. Other local charities are still active (links below). The Sunflower team thanks all supporters and wishes everyone well for 2026.
Full Post...
Sunflower was set up in 2016 with the primary aim to give back to this wonderful place we have adopted as our home and specifically to support the disadvantaged groups in the local community. Since then, with your support, we have raised money and received donations for a wide variety of projects. The local community has benefitted with projects such as - a new sensory room and equipment at Zdravets (a day care centre for children with special needs), purchase and installation of new kitchens in the Safety Homes of Adults with learning difficulties, First Responder Medical packs for the Ambulances based at the Medical Centre, additional oxygen supply for the Medical Centre so they always have a spare, a new floor and wardrobes at a Kindergarten, medical grade mattresses for residents of the Dementia care home in Mesta as well as a new upgraded kitchen, Winter food parcels and home renovations for elderly in need, a fast first responder trail motorbike for Mountain Rescue as well as training and winter protective clothing for ski-doo rescue operators, a new fully equipped soft room at Zdravets and window blinds to provide staff and patient privacy for the newly refurbished medical centre. The distribution of donated furniture and household items. As well as fun outings for the residents of the Safety homes, some chocolates and xmas dinners to put a smile on faces.
We were also very glad to be able to raise funds to support the Ukrainian community when the invasion broke out providing much needed assistance for those who were displaced. The last donations have just provided Ukrainian kids with a chocolate treat for Xmas and the Ukrainian pensioners with a range of essential goods (photos below).
All of this would not have been possible without the kindness, generosity and support of each and everyone of you who helped us to make these improvements happen in people's lives. We feel that Sunflower has made a positive impact on the local community and we thank you for helping us do that.
However times do change and so does the requirement for help, as such, we are finding it difficult to source projects that continually need our support as Bansko has grown. So we have decided that as from the end of this year, the non-profit charity organisation of Sunflower will become dormant. That means we will not be fundraising or taking donations (financial, clothes, furniture or otherwise).
This decision has been made to ensure we are not receiving donations without planned projects in place. It also means that should a future need present itself, Sunflower can again rise to the challenge. This is the feeling of the current committee who, in the main, have been with the charity since inception however if you are local and have other ideas for projects and would like to take over the running of Sunflower and continue the work please just get in touch to discuss.
It is also important to note that there are other charities still operating in Bansko such as:
https://chovekbg.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/share/1Db8P9sv9f/
https://rotaract-bg.org/clubs/bansko-razlog-1
https://www.facebook.com/BanskoStreetDogs
Once again, we thank each and everyone of you for your continued support and help over the past years. You really have helped make a difference. Wishing you all a fantastic 2026.
