The plight of hundreds of local children waiting for the chance of a new start with a new family has been highlighted this week.
At a special event to mark National Adoption Week (9-13 November) local adoption agency Adoption Matters Northwest organised a tree planting ceremony at Risley Moss Nature Reserve.
“Of the 3,500 children nationally who remain in care waiting to be adopted, 600 are from the North West, including Merseyside and Wirral,” said Adoption Matters Northwest Chief Executive, Norman Goodwin.
“I hope that the simple act of planting a single tree for each group of 100 local children will be poignant enough to encourage people to think about all the children who can no longer live with their birth families, and perhaps consider whether they could become adopters.”
Adoption Matters Northwest (www.adoptionmasttersnw.or <http://www.adoptionmasttersnw.or> g) is one of only a few specialist, not-for-profit organisations in the UK dedicated to matching waiting children with approved individuals and couples.
He continued: “Neglect, abuse and family breakdown are among the reasons why these children can no longer live with their birth families. Some spend years in care; some never get a single enquiry.”
Thousands of young people have already been adopted through the organisation since it was formed, and they’ve included groups of up to five siblings!
“It’s by no means unusual for groups of brothers and sisters to be looking for a new family,” said Norman. “The 600 Northwest children actually include five groups of four siblings, 13 groups of three children and no less than 98 groups of two.”
He added: “We’re not looking for heroes. We need people who care and who could offer children a loving, caring home in which they can thrive. Adopters can be single or married, employed or unemployed, own their own home or live in rented accommodation.”
The trees, donated by Cheshire Landscape Trust, will help create The Mersey Forest, the network of woodlands and green spaces growing across Merseyside and Cheshire for the benefit of all.
* The Mersey Forest is a growing network of woodlands and green spaces spread across Cheshire and Merseyside, which has been creating 'woodlands on your doorstep' since 1994.
The Forest is one of the leading environmental regeneration initiatives in the North West. Through community and partnership working, we have planted more than 8 million trees - equivalent to five new trees for every person living within the Forest area.
The Forest helps our towns and cities adapt to climate change and has won the Brian Redhead Award for Environmental Sustainability, creates woodlands that 20% of local people visit at least once a week, and by improving the image of our towns and cities sets the scene for growth within the region's £98 billion economy.
www.merseyforest.org.uk <http://www.merseyforest.org.uk/>
Post a comment