FFP Member News: Team Fostering carers attend Royal Garden Party

We were delighted when we heard that once again some of Team Fostering's carers had been invitied to the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.

Mick and Margaret Lavender (pictured left) are foster carers in our North East region, and Jane and Richard Johnson (pictured right) foster with Team Fostering in Yorkshire. The four were invited to this year's parties after being nominated, and all thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

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​Attending on different days, both couples were lucky enough to attend during a quite warm and bright spell. 'The weather was lovely but a little windy at times, with hats blowing off,' said Mick, 'Margaret's did three times!' The upbeat weather truly highlighted the beauty of the gardens and added to the warm atmosphere of the day. Looking at photos taken on the day it's clear to see how wonderful the setting was, although all guests stated that images really didn't do this justice. 'Richard and I were amazed at the size of the gardens,' said Jane, 'There were over 6,000 guests there but it didn't feel crowded at all!' Douglas Shearer, our North East Recruitment Coordinator, also attended this year's party, and was astounded at the beauty of the roses at Buckingham Palace and at the serenity of the gardens, a peaceful oasis in the middle of the country's busiest city.

The Lavenders and the Johnsons were thrilled to see the Queen along with Prince Philip, as they made their way through the party and spoke with several guests. Two brass bands were playing throughout the day, and available at the party were some delicious refreshments (pictured) which went down a treat.

This was a fantastic event for our carers to be part of and we were charmed by their feedback once they returned from the captial. Their invitations were truly deserved and they certainly looked the part on the day.

Mick and Margaret Lavender: 'The highlight for both of us was just being there, something we never expected to do. Walking on the red carpet as we were leaving was wonderful, and seeing people looking through the gates at us made us feel royal. We are privileged to have attended.'

Jane and Richard Johnson: 'We had an amazing, truly wonderful day, from travelling down to London first class, doing a bit of sighseeing, and then arriving at the Palace. It was a wonderful opportunity and a great honour for us to have attended.'

Source:
http://www.teamfostering.co.uk