Happy Being Me - Children In Care Exhibition - Preston's Harris- 31/10/19 - 6/11/19
Nov, 1 2019
~There are a number of reasons why children and teenagers end up in a care home. One of their parents could have addiction problems.
The child could have a form of ADHD which has resulted in the parents feeling unable to look after their son or daughter for the foreseeable future.
In any case their new home shouldn’t be assumed it’s gloomier than their previous one. For many children they enjoy a more benevolent experience thanks to the professional help of the carers.
National Care Leaver’s Week began on Monday ( 28th October) and will conclude on Sunday 3rd November. The week long event highlights the needs of care leavers and encourages all organisations responsible for looking after them to work effectively together.
To complement such a cause an exhibition and book has been launched which reveals the resilience of the children and young people that have found themselves in the hands of care.
The book, simply called ‘ Happy Being Me’ contains around 50 letters that were written by the youth of 2017. Each letter, written to themselves, captures their thoughts and feelings about being in care and looked after by the county council.
The exhibition mirrors the book in terms of it’s title and the positive influence care workers are having in shaping these young people to become happier more confident adults in the future.
County Councillor Phillippa Williamson, cabinet member for children, young people and schools, expresses her delight in the book and the importance of the exhibition,
“I’m pleased that we’ve compiled the book from the letters that were written by the children and young people in 2017. It makes for very poignant reading. The letters are all different, and give a very personal view of experiences of being looked after, as well as an insight into their adult life. The national campaign aims to raise awareness of care leavers and I hope that as many people as possible take this opportunity and visit the exhibition.
The exhibition will run at the Harris from Thursday 31 October to Wednesday 6 November.
You can find out more information about the exhibition by emailing either jane.hylton@lancashire.gov.uk or roxanne.mcallister@lancashire.gov.uk in the county council’s leaving care service.
Phillipa concludes with these positive words of hope in response to the book,
“We intend to make really good use of the individual experiences shared in the book and the letters, by using them as part of the training of people working with children including foster carers and social workers.”
- Poignant new exhibition at the Harris in Preston features letters from children in care
- Thursday 31 October to Wednesday 6 November 2019.
^Alex Ashworth
