Adoption Matters celebrate 70 years of children’s futures

4 October 2017
Adoption Matters 70th anniversary event attendees
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Leading adoption agency, Adoption Matters, held a celebratory afternoon tea event at Whalley Abbey in the beautiful Ribble Valley recently to celebrate its 70th anniversary.

 

More than 70 people from across the north west attended the 40s-themed event including adopters, donors, local authority partners and representatives from the Diocese of Blackburn, including the Bishop of Blackburn, Rt Rev. Julian Henderson and the Archdeacon of Lancaster, The Venerable Michael Everitt.

 

The agency has its roots going back to 1947 with the Blackburn Diocese Adoption Agency and also Chester Diocesan Adoption Services. Those two agencies merged in 2007 forming Adoption Matters whose head office is in Chester.

 

The event celebrated the achievement of placing more than 4000 children with their ‘forever families’ across a 70-year history. Last year alone they placed 76 children, the highest number since 1967.

 

Chief Executive, Norman Goodwin CBE, added: “Commemorating our 70th anniversary is important to our charity in remembering our past, celebrating our achievements and looking forward to our future.

 

“Our aim has remained consistent throughout our history, which is that children’s welfare and needs are paramount and we aim for them to grow up in a secure and loving family who will best meet their long-term needs and who can help them to reach their full potential.

 

We are proud of our achievements but we still know there is still so much more to do. Currently there are over 2,000 children still waiting for their adoptive home right now in the England, over half of those waiting are part of a sibling group. This reflects our own experience as 49% of the children we placed for adoption last year were siblings. Keeping children together wherever possible is vital as sibling bonds are so very important to children who have had to leave their birth families, and we are always looking for more adopters who can consider brothers and sisters. With National Adoption Week just around the corner, we are urging people to consider adoption”.

 

The agency offers lifelong support to adopters, their children placed and their extended family, through counselling, support groups, training and workshops.

 

For more information about adoption contact our friendly team on 0300 123 1066 or click here to download a free, no obligation information pack.

 

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