A FARNBOROUGH-based financial advice business is sponsoring a support group for adopted young people to enable them to share their experiences with people who understand what they have been through.
Origen Financial Services, one of the UK’s leading financial advisers, is providing funding for the Adoptee Voices group run by the charity Parents And Children Together (PACT). The group provides a safe, supportive space for adopted young people to socialise, share their views and connect with others who may share similar life experiences.
An award-winning company helping customers across the UK make the best financial decisions, Origen cares deeply about creating brighter futures for their communities. They are proud to be involved in this two-year charitable initiative which will make a positive impact on the lives of young people and their families.
PACT is an adoption charity and support provider which helps hundreds of families each year through outstanding adoption services and specialist therapeutic support. Based in Reading with services across south east England, PACT fundraises to provide enhanced adoption support services to all its families for life.
Children who are adopted often need ongoing support throughout their lives due to difficult early life experiences and can have questions about identity and belonging. The Adoptee Voices group was created by PACT as a space for adoptees aged 10-18 to share their thoughts and feelings about being adopted and enable them to develop friendships, build confidence and feel less alone during their teenage years.
The Adoptee Voices group has been running since early 2021. The young people decide where and when they want to meet and what they would like to do; recent activities have included kayaking and rock climbing. PACT’s trained social workers always take part in the sessions to provide the youngsters with any specialist support needed.
A 13-year-old adopted young person who attended the group said: “Before I started Adoptee Voices I felt like I was the only one who was adopted but now I feel more connected to other people who were adopted and that it’s okay to be adopted.”
Sarah Hacker, Community Fundraiser at PACT, said: “Adoptee Voices brings older adopted children together so they can make friends and support each other. Often an adoptee is the only adopted child in their class – so their friends and classmates won’t understand their experiences and feelings. The group enables them to get together with peers who share their experiences, which is incredibly important for them.
The Adoptee Voices group is free for families, but costs nearly £25,000 a year to run, so without the support of individuals and organisations like Origen, we couldn’t provide these crucial groups for the young people who need them.”
