Single mother took in 150 children.. and cared about every single one SUPERMUM
Two years ago, Andy gave away one of her ex-foster kids, Gary, at his wedding in Portugal. He had had 14 foster and kids’ home placements before she took him in.
She says: “He was 14 when he came to me and stayed until he was 18.
“To see him a happy, confident adult is amazing. I never feel sad when I say goodbye, I feel proud to have done my part and know we’ll always be close.”
In 2011 Andy was part of a BBC documentary with Men Behaving Badly actor Neil Morrissey, who spent much of his childhood in foster care. “Neil was so kind and so good with the kids,” Andy says. “It was also great for them – and anyone who saw the show – to see how foster care can be a huge positive, how you can make a success of your life like Neil had.”
She and the actor keep in touch and he even gave his number to her foster children, saying they could call.
Andy says Neil “was the best ever advert for fostering”.
She also says her own kids have prospered from the fostering experience, adding: “Adam, Ben and George have had to share me with other, much more demanding children – and witness their mum being threatened and abused.
UNDERSTANDING
“But it taught them to be kind and understand how lucky they are. We became a team and I believe our experience enabled them to become more understanding, caring adults.”
She recalls one of her foster children who moved out at 18 and went to
London. “He called me asking if I could help with spare clothes, some money and some cigarettes,” she says.
“I called George, who was then living on the other side of London, and he got in his car to drive round to help out. We’ve all learned to put others’ needs ahead of our own.”
It was Andy’s middle son Ben – now a teacher in Bristol – who nominated his mum for the MBE.
On New Year’s Day she got the news that she had been invited to the Palace to receive the award “for services to children and young people in Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset”.
Humbled Andy says: “When I see all the messages on my phone from kids I’ve fostered, when I get cards on Mothering Sunday, when I get asked to go to a wedding, or hold one of my foster children’s newborn babies, that means more to me than any award.
“Of course it’s great that fostering is getting more recognition through this MBE. I want more people to follow in my footsteps when I retire this July after my 75th birthday to get the same incredible sense of fulfilment.”
■■■Andy has fostered with Amicus Foster Care, which needs more foster parents. See amicusfostercare.com