Hungary: Hotline receives NGO prize

The Hungarian “NGO of the Year” prize was awarded during a ceremony in Budapest on 15 June, 2006. The Board, which comprises of NGO experts, decided that a telephone hotline operator for elderly people “the Afternoon Foundation” was awarded with the “NGO of the Year? prize for the year 2005 and can take home the sum of 4000 euros as well. The Foundation has opened its hotline service in 1998 and offers the possibility of anonymous talks assisting elderly who are usually alone. It also provides other services including medical and legal counselling and a mediation centre, which aims to settle disputes in the family. The private award has been founded 11 years ago by the Nonprofit Information and Training Centre and first awarded in 1996. During the nomination period any registered NGO can be nominated and in June every year the Board of the prize decides on the winner of the prize. Simultaneously the “Private Donor of the Year? and “Corporate Donor of Year? prizes are also awarded. www.niok.hu