Care leavers have spoken of their gratitude for the love and support they have received in North Yorkshire as their own resilience, strength of character, and achievements have been honoured.
A ceremony was held to mark the personal growth and recognise the achievements of care leavers who are taking the next steps in their lives.
Among them is Hannah Halliwell who was under our care. She is currently impressing major retailers working as a buying assistant having achieved a first-class degree from the Manchester Fashion Institute.
Now 22 and living in Leicester, the former pupil of Masham Church of England Primary School, near Ripon, shared her positive experiences of the “reassurance and support” she received from the authority which not only gave her the confidence to keep going, but empowered her to thrive.
She said: “I am where I am today because of the constant support I received from North Yorkshire Council and I’ll always be thankful of that.”
Speaking about her ambitions for the future, she said: “I would love to go from strength-to strength and make a success of my fashion buying career. I am also very excited to learn to drive.”
Held at the University of York, the care leavers event, which is now in its sixth year, saw more than 50 young people joined by officers from our children and young people’s service and members of the county’s business community not only celebrate the care leavers’ success, but also speak about the barriers they face and share ideas and their experiences.
Our executive member for children and families, Cllr Janet Sanderson, said: “Looking after children is one of the most important things our council does and we must always strive to give our children and young people the care, support and opportunities they deserve, as well as having ambitions for them.
“The leavers event is our way of saying ‘well done’ to young people who have left, or who are due to leave care. We are proud of you and, most importantly, you should be proud of yourself for making this transition from being in care to starting your journey towards adulthood.”
Raman Salih also shared his own experiences and paid tribute to the care he received from his foster parents.
Originally from Iraq, he arrived in England as an unaccompanied asylum-seeking child in the summer of 2016 enduring extreme hardship in pursuit of a safe haven. Aged 15 at the time, he began his new life in Whitby after being fostered by Mark and Pauline Taylor.
Now aged 23, Mr Salih has graduated in civil engineering from Leeds Beckett University and is currently enjoying his life-long ambition of travelling around the world.
He said: “I cannot believe it has been so many years since I first arrived in England. The settling-in process had its ups and downs, like dealing with the language barrier and adjusting to completely different traditions and communities. However, thanks to the support of my school friends and my foster parents, Mark and Pauline, I was able to overcome all the challenges.
“Without the support from North Yorkshire Council, it would have been really difficult to achieve what I have so far. From day one staff have always been there for me whenever I needed them and have done their best to help me out.”
He added: “My dream was to take a year out, travel and experience what life is like in other countries. Having achieved my degree, I am now living the dream. Looking ahead I would one day like to start my own business in the engineering industry.”
Our corporate director of children and young people’s service, Stuart Carlton, said: “Our young people are truly exceptional and I was delighted to be part of this uplifting event to celebrate their achievements and give them the send-off they truly deserve.
“They are a credit to themselves and the whole community of North Yorkshire. Many of them have faced challenges and hardships in their lives and they still manage to excel and shine.
“We are extremely proud of them, and I would like to wish all the care leavers of 2024 the very best for the future.”
Awards were presented during the event, recognising the achievements of the young people and honouring staff who have championed their causes.
During the poignant event, hand-made quilts by volunteers from Quilts for Care Leavers were presented to the young people. Designed to be wrapped around their shoulders – like a quilted hug – Quilts for Care Leavers was first started by Maggie Lloyd-Jones in Leeds in 2018, following a 30-year career as a solicitor in the field of child protection and safeguarding.
She came up with the idea of creating and gifting quilts to young people leaving care at age 18 under the auspices of the Lemn Sissay Foundation.
There were also a varied range of crafts and activities for attendees to enjoy including cake decorating, flower arranging as well as a bingo session.
Fostering North Yorkshire currently has 300 active fostering households looking after children in care. However, more children are coming into care and there is a national shortage of carers across the UK.