“We are very happy that the media are our very, very passionate partner in bringing the awareness in our Bulgarian society, which awareness is saying ‘No’ to the institutionalization of children,” Ivanka Shalapatova, Executive Director of For Our Children foundation, has said, accepting her award in the Charity section of the 2014 Personality in the News contest conducted by Novinite.com.  

Novinite media group on Monday granted its annual awards in six categories based on voting by readers of the Bulgarian-language and English-language news services over the past two months.

“On behalf of For Our Children Foundation I’d like to cordially thank all the people who voted for this award because this is a very indicative signal that our society is not indifferent to the future of our children, to the way we care for them today,” Shalapatova told Novinite at the awards ceremony conducted in Sofia Art Gallery.

Eureka Foundation Board Chairman Kiril Boyanov received the award in the Charity section of the contest conducted among readers of Novinite.bg. 

On behalf of France’s Ambassador to Bulgaria  Xavier Lapeyre de Cabanes Mme Florence Levy, Deputy Chief of Mission, accepted the award  in the Diplomacy section of the contest held by Novinite.bg.

Outgoing British Ambassador Jonathan Allen has won the prize in the Diplomacy section awarded by readers of Novinite.com. The award was accepted on his behalf by Michael Davidson, Head of the Political Section at the British Embassy in Sofia.

On behalf of Serge Schmidt, General Manager Bulgaria and Greece at Italcementi Group, the award in the Business section of Novinite.com’s contest was accepted by Stoyan Shterev, head of Legal & Institutional Relations at Devnya Cement.

The winners in the Business category of the vote among readers of Novinite.bg, the founders of Telerik IT company Vasil Terziev and Svetozar Georgiev have welcomed the initiative of Novinite group.

Our readers can see the full list of winners in the 2014 Personality in the News contest here.

Due to their tight work schedule Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Junior Eurovision winners Krisia, Hasan and Ibrahim, tennis player Grigor Dimitrov and Cosmin Moti, the Romanian star of PFC Ludogorets Razgrad, were unable to attend the ceremony and will accept their awards later.