Event held at Hotel Football thanks foster carers for their vital work with children and young people.
By Megan Worthington
••3 min read
AI
Generic image of a gathering with blurred figures and a relaxed atmosphere.
Foster carers from across Trafford were celebrated at a special event organised by the Council, acknowledging their significant contributions to the lives of local children and young people.
Over 80 foster carers attended a special brunch at Hotel Football, where many were recognised for their long-term service, including those fostering for 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years.
The event featured care-experienced guest speaker Esther Grace, who shared her personal reflections on the profound positive impact her foster carers had on her childhood and adult life. Katie Allen, Chair of the Trafford Foster Carer Association, also spoke, highlighting the peer support network available to foster carers within the borough.
Foster Carer Lawrence Herron, recognised for ten years of fostering with his wife Tracy, described the experience as "hard work but very rewarding, with lots of ups and downs but to be honest it’s mainly been ups, and we wouldn’t change a thing!"
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"It was a privilege to be at this very special event, which is all about giving our foster carers the recognition they deserve for the incredible work they do. Typically, foster carers are humble people who play down their achievements, so it’s important that we as a council, and as corporate parents, make it clear that our foster carers really do change lives for the better – and for that they deserve enormous credit."
Cllr George Devlin emphasised the council's commitment to offering support and highlighted the importance of a strong fostering community for peer support, especially for new carers. He noted that seeing carers relax and share stories was a highlight of the day.
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"Giving Trafford’s children and young people the best start in life is one of our key priorities, and our foster carers are absolutely fundamental to this. These carers are the best of us – they open their hearts and homes to young people and make an incredible difference to their life chances. It was an honour to join them at this lovely event, and we thank our foster carers wholeheartedly for everything they do. We do need more foster carers in Trafford, and would encourage anyone who thinks fostering could be for them to get in touch to find out more about the different ways they could get involved."
Cllr Tom Ross underscored the crucial role of foster carers in providing children and young people with the best start in life, calling them "the best of us". He encouraged anyone considering fostering to get in touch.
Trafford Council's fostering team collaborates with local authorities across Greater Manchester under the banner of Foster for Greater Manchester. Interested individuals can contact enquire@fosterforgm.com to learn more about fostering in Trafford.
