A Day to Remember: Olive Branch Fostering’s Inaugural Fostering Awards

On Saturday, 11th October, the Olive Branch Fostering family came together at the beautiful Village Hotel in Bury for a truly special occasion, our very first Fostering Awards Ceremony!

The event was dedicated to celebrating the incredible achievements of our foster carers, young people, and birth children who continue to inspire us every single day.

From the moment guests arrived, the room was filled with smiles, laughter, and heartfelt stories that reminded us all why fostering makes such a profound difference. The atmosphere was one of warmth, gratitude, and celebration, a perfect reflection of the Olive Branch community.

We were delighted to have Mark Butler as our compere for the afternoon, whose energy and humour kept everyone entertained. He hosted a fantastic raffle, led a lively disco, and even played some fun dance floor games with the youngsters, making sure there was something for everyone to enjoy.

A true highlight of the day was having Mary Ainsworth join us to present some of the awards. Her words of encouragement and recognition for our foster families made the moment even more meaningful. It was an honour to see so many of our carers, children, and young people celebrated for their dedication, kindness, and growth.

As Mary said afterwards:

“As a care leaver, seeing young people be celebrated for their achievements was a really special moment. It’s something I would have loved to have experienced as a foster child.

Also, I think young foster children seeing their foster carers celebrated too is really inspiring for them. It’s such a challenging role, but the celebration allowed foster and birth children to see the impact carers and associations have on young lives.

Presenting awards to the children felt like a privilege, a chance to give them something they could be proud of despite their circumstances. I hope to see more positive events like this, it’s important to share the good news!”

As the ceremony came to a close, we left feeling deeply inspired, reminded once again of the strength, compassion, and love that define our fostering community. Seeing so many happy faces and hearing stories of success, resilience, and transformation was nothing short of amazing.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who helped make our first Olive Branch Fostering Awards such a success. We can’t wait to do it all again next year!