Foster carers' annual lunch

Around 120 foster carers were invited to Islington Town Hall this week as a thank you for taking on some of the borough’s most vulnerable children and young people.

The carers, who are all on the front line in the drive to give children a great start in life by preventing them from slipping through the cracks, had the chance to swap tips on fostering and shared a meal together at Islington Town Hall, in Upper Street, N1, on Tuesday (28 April).

The annual Islington Foster Carers’ Lunch included awards being handed out to carers who have gone the extra mile to help the young people meet their full potential, despite some having had a troubled start in life.

There were awards for foster carers who had completed the most training in the past 12 months and carers whose foster children excelled at school. Retiring carers were honoured for their years of support and commitment, while another award recognised foster carers who had had special training on helping children succeed and looking after young people from surrounding boroughs as part of the North London Fostering Consortium.

In January The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, took time out of a busy schedule to meet carers and Islington Council’s support team, social workers and teenagers who had benefitted directly from the council’s fostering service.

The pregnant 33-year-old praised the carers and the Fostering Network members at the coalface of efforts to combat deprivation in Islington.

Laurence Prieto, the fostering marketing and publicity officer for Islington Council, said: “We hold this event as a way of saying thank you to all our foster carers who provide such a vital service to the local community in Islington. Foster children have often not had the start in life that all children deserve, but thanks to our foster carers many go on to excel at school and in life.

“We are constantly looking for people who want to become foster carers and give a child a loving and safe home and this year we are especially keen for people wanting to give teenagers a chance to be looked after.

“Applicants have initial training and and preparation with continued training and support provided once they are approved.”

For more information about becoming a foster carer visit: www.islington.gov.uk/fostering



Pictures:

1. (l-r)  Islington foster carers Amna Waqar, Yvette Short and Nebyat Tesfai pictured with the deputy mayor Richard Greening

2. (l-r) Foster carers Chris Meadows, Angela Gash, Kate Marshall, Dawn Bishop, Nebiyat Tesfai

3. Group shot with Islington Mayor elect Richard Greening

4. (l-r)  Islington foster carers Amna Waqar, Yvette Short and Nebyat Tesfai pictured with the deputy mayor Richard Greening

6. Islington Council children's services operations manager Susanna Daus, foster carers Jean Dune, Cllr Greening