Are there still orphanages?

[saadia]

We have some items (a double buggy and a travel cot) which we no longer need and would like to donate to a charity. Dh is keen to give these to an orphanage, but I'm not sure that there are still such institutions (please excuse my ignorance), so, if anyone can direct me to any I would be grateful.

My guess is that they all come under local authority care and we would therefore have to go through the council so I just think we should give these things to a Barnardos shop.

see if you can contact the local womans refuge (may need to go through SS or HV)

No, there are no more orphanages. Children whose parents have died are placed in temporary foster care, then go on to a more permanent placement. If there are no foster places available they go to a small children's home until a suitable placement is found.
SureStart may be able to help, though, or like Misdee says, a women's refuge. Or perhaps a local nursery or childminder?
Otherwise could you sell them on ebay and donate the proceeds to charity?

Thanks for those ideas. Will look into women's refuges I think.

You'd be amazed how discreet children's homes and women's refuges can be; I was with a friend when on of her friends mentioned getting a job in the children's home at the bottom of my friend's street, my friend was totally shocked and had no clue it existed! Much better than orphanges, but still horrible scary places...

Definately try the women's refuge, and charity shops are brilliant

fastasleep I can imagine how awful it must be for the children, so sad, but I guess most of the children in children homes have been put there because they are not safe with their own families.

Oh yes, you'd be surprised how many children's homes there are around. Dh is the manager of one and he can spot them, and staff/children a mile off. We have 2 in our town that not many people know about.