A NEW faced has joined an adoption agency covering Dorset and the South West at a crucial time.

Families for Children says it is delighted to announce the appointment of new fundraising and engagement specialist Tracy Ebbrell.

Her appointment comes at what the agency says it is a key time, with its focus on finding families for 'priority' children.

These include older children, sibling groups and children with additional needs.

It is these groups of children and their adoptive families who benefit from the work of the charity.

Tracy has been appointed to help meet the increasing demand for this vital service, which is funded in part by the local community.

Families for Children needs to raise over £400,000 each year to provide adoption support for families who need it.

The services it provides includes individualised work with children and young people, parents and carers, in addition to the adult counselling and birth relative counselling services on offer.

This can be anything from providing therapeutic counselling to support of a child in school.

The charity works hard to ensure families can stay together for life.

At any one time it can be supporting between 100 and 120 families post adoption.

This is only set to grow with the increasing number of children been placed for adoption who will need additional support because of the effects of trauma during their early years.

The charity says the need to raise funds to meet this growth is critical, as without this service many families would be left to cope alone.

Tracy has an extensive background in both the corporate and charitable sector and has been networking across the South West for 27 years.

She said: "We need to balance our portfolio of funding sources and not rely on just a few.

"We want to engage further with our patrons, the local community, adopters, schools, and corporate supporters from Dorset to the Isles of Scilly.

"There is only one of me and it is a large geographical area that Families for Children covers so I need to recruit volunteer fundraisers who will be willing to host local events for Families for Children.

"These could be a humble coffee morning through to a challenging sport event.

"Any idea no matter how crazy would be welcomed.”

If you, your community group or your place of work would like to know more about FFC and how you could get involved contact Tracy Ebbrell on 01364 645480 or email tebbrell@familiesforchildren.org.uk

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