Another busy year for charity

AS 2017 draws to a close I would like to thank all those who have supported the work of Barnardo’s Cymru during the past 12 months.

It is thanks to you that we have been able to extend our work to help 8,250 children, young people and families across Wales.

That help has positively changed the lives of children who have been affected by abuse, mental health issues and disability. We have supported young people in care and those leaving care, children whose parents are in prison and families of veterans.

We have given young carers the resilience to cope with caring for sick and disabled parents and siblings and we’ve given parents the skills they need to cope with the challenges of family life.

We have found safe, new homes for children in care and forever homes for children adopted through the Barnardo’s Cymru Adoption and Fostering Service.

We continue to help children and young people affected by forms of abuse; such as child sexual exploitation and trafficking and help young asylum seekers and their families to settle in a new country.

We couldn’t have done it without our volunteers who help in our shops, support our children’s services and fundraise and we couldn’t have done it without everyone who has donated to Barnardo’s during the last year.

We face many challenges in 2018 but know that with your support we can continue to make a difference to the lives of the most vulnerable children, children like Abbie, 15, who we have helped recover from abuse.

So I’ll leave you with her words. “I have turned things around and I know I couldn’t have done it without my Barnardo’s worker. She understood me and believed in me. She made me understand that everyone deserves a second chance.”