THE annual awareness raising campaign aims to

encourage a diverse range of people with the right

skills and qualities to foster to come forward to
meet the needs of children in care.
With a shortage of 10,000 foster carers across the UK,
more foster carers are needed to provide children with
safe and caring homes while they are unable to live with
their own families.
For more information about how you can get involved in
fostering, or how you support the work of the Fostering
Network go to www.fostering.net/could-you-foster
AT Barnardos Cymru Pembrokeshire Family Link
they are urging people to make a big difference
to the lives of disabled children, some of whom
struggle with challenging behaviour and/or complex
medical needs, and their families.
Short break carers are people who, in their own homes,
look after a child or young person during overnight stays
on a regular basis.They are registered foster carers.
Short breaks are a win-win situation.Whilst the child or
young person enjoys new experiences, their parents are
able to re-energise. And the carers constantly say they get a
lot more out of it than they put in.
Barnardos has been providing short break care support
to disabled children and young people in Pembrokeshire
for 30 years and is keen to recruit more carers.
The organisation provide full training, allowances and
comprehensive support.
Contact Barnardos today on 01646 687064.
Foster Care
Fortnight
May 12-25
Giving a little time does
make a big difference!
Do you have time, energy, commitment and room to
help care for a disabled child?
We are looking for people who are able to help disabled children and
young people and their families by providing overnight
stays on a regular basis.
We provide all relevant training, allowances and comprehensive support.
Contact us today to ind out more
call Deirdre on 01646 687 064 or email
pembs.familylink@barnardos.org.uk
The more you do it the more rewarding it gets.
Barnardos short break carer
Rhifau Cofrestrur Elusen 216250 a SC037605
Barnardos Registered Charity Nos. 216250 and SC037605
All welcome to attend
skateparks amazing
opening celebration
By Jenny Hanson
01437 761767
jha@westerntelegraph.co.uk
Twitter @WTelegraph
DIVING IN: Neptunes Army members David Jones, Dave Kennard and Lloyd Jones (NARC)
celebrate the groups Folly Farm sponsorship with penguin keeper Catrin Thomas.
PEMBROKESHIRES seabed clean-up
team is being sponsored by another
group of divers - the penguins at Folly
Farm.
Neptunes Army of Rubbish Clean-
ers (NARC) funds dives that protect
wildlife from the dangers of discarded
ocean litter. Items including shopping
trolleys, bikes and fishing tackle have
been rescued from the deep by the
voluntary divers, with items being
cleaned and recycled if possible.
Folly Farms penguin enclosure,
home to 24 endangered Humboldt
penguins, has now become an official
sponsor of NARC.
Zoo manager, Tim Morphew, said:
Taking care of the environment is a
cause close to Folly Farms heart, and
teaming up with NARC was a natural
partnership.
NARC secretary, David Jones, added:
Along with our dedicated volunteers,
our funders and sponsors are key to
us being able to carry out our clean-
up dives. Without them, we wouldnt
be able to get out there and collect the
marine litter that can be so damaging
to marine life.
Penguins team up with sea
divers to protect marine life
P E M B R O K E S H I R E
Skateparks Official
Opening Celebration Jam
on May 17 promises to be
an amazing event, wheth-
er you skate or not.
Running from12pmto 5pm
at Picton Playing Fields in
Haverfordwest with music
until 9pm entry to the Jam
is free.
This great day out at the
long-awaited skatepark of-
fers the chance to see amaz-
ing skills, and win some in-
credible prizes, in a friendly
and informal atmosphere.
Pro-riders will attend the
Jam, which is being run by
skatepark designers/build-
ers Maverick Industries.
Spot competitions for both
local and pro riders are
planned. First place win-
ners in the skate and BMX
over 16s competitions will
qualify for the Internation-
al Pro Park Competition at
NASS (Action Sports and
Music Festival) and receive
a free festival weekend pass,
as well as being in with a
chance to win a slice of the
25,000 prize purse.
Food and merchandise
will be on offer, and repre-
sentatives from local servic-
es, including the Haverford-
west Skatepark Association
(HSA), will be there to chat
to. The HSA will hold a raffle
to win a Diamond Back BMX
(donated by Mikes Bikes) a
Drift HD720 Action Camera
(donated by Merlins Autos)
and a complete Oath skate-
board (donated by Oath UK).
Every penny raised will go
towards the upkeep and light-
ing of the skatepark, as will
money made through sales
of brand-new Pembrokeshire
Skatepark T-Shirts.
Organisers are asking driv-
ers to use Scotchwell Car
Park (SA61 2LH). Its 80p for
an all-day ticket and just a
short walk away from Picton
Playing Fields. The way to the
event will be clearly signed
and stewarded. Alternative
parking can be found in the
multi-storey car park (SA61
2ND), costing 1.30. Children
under 12 must be accompa-
nied by a parent. Unless con-
fident using a skatepark and
doing tricks, youngsters are
advised to watch rather than
use the park when the compe-
titions are running.
For details, visit facebook.
com/events/313824985436791
or Haverfordwest Skatepark
Association facebook.com/
groups/47191508519/ and
email any enquiries to
hsainfo@yahoo.co.uk
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 22
westerntelegraph.co.uk
Salons will be cutting hair to support three cancer charities
A CHANCE to get ahead
and support three cancer
charities is being offered by
a Pembrokeshire hairdress-
ing family.
On Friday, June 6, Todaros
will be donating all of the
money received for mens
haircuts in its Haverford-
west and Milford Haven
salons to the Paul Sartori
Foundation, Shalom House
and Prostate Cancer UK.
The charities have been
chosen in memory of the
businesss founder, Frank
Todaro, who passed away
in April at the age of 83
following a long battle with
prostate cancer.
Company director, Michael
Todaro, said: As a local
family business, we feel it is
important to support chari-
ties which, in turn, have
supported our own family
members.
Anyone in need of a trim
and wanting to help raise
money for these special
charities should contact
either salon.
Since opening his first
salon in 1962, Frank revo-
lutionised hairdressing in
Pembrokeshire, rubbing
heads with top names such
as Toni and Guy, and even
cutting celebrity stylist Lee
Staffords hair.
He will be sadly missed by
everyone in the town, said
Domenico. He was one of
the last original shopkeepers
in Charles Street.
He could talk to people at
their level, and they loved
him for it.
Natalie and her husband Colin
fostered their rst child in their mid-
twenties. Since then, they have
fostered another twenty children,
between the ages of 0 and 18. Most
have been long-term, with the longest
being eight years.The couple also
have a daughter and two sons of their
own, aged fteen, nine and eight.
The couple, who live in Rosemarket, say that
starting fostering at a young age and bringing
up their own children with their foster
children has been a denite plus.
Its easy.You nd the time to look after your
own children. Its exactly the same, said
Natalie. We treat all our children equally, and
the rules are the same for everyone. Its really
important, so that nobody feels any different.
All of our friends and family know all our
children and treat them all the same, added
Colin, a trained paramedic.
Many of the children which the couple have
welcomed into their home have been
teenagers and Natalie says they are much
easier than some people think.
In the beginning, they can be hard and will
push their boundaries, but if you connect with
them, they are away and independent. Its all
about respecting one another, she said.
Trust is a big thing.You have got to build up
trust; that you are not going to treat them
differently or harm them. Nine times out of
ten they are just normal children who need
to be shown attention, want to be loved, and
need some boundaries.
The couple foster through Pembrokeshire
County Council. We have had fantastic
support, said Colin. Any time we have asked
for help, we have had it.The relationship we
have got is brilliant. It helps knowing that you
have got the backing from the team.
Both are passionate about the benets of
fostering, and urge anyone who thinks it might
be for them to give it a go.
As long as you have got empathy and care
about others, and have understanding of how
people want to be treated and respected, its
well worth it, said Natalie.
All the good times
outweigh by far the rocky
patches in the beginning. If
anybody thinks it might be
for them, they should give it
a try at least. Its denitely
changed our lives for the
better.
Said Colin; You can give a
child that environment to
ourish and turn their whole
life around. Some of the
children we have fostered
have felt they are worthless.
So to see a child grow in
condence, totally change, and
do well at school or go on the
straight and narrow is fantastic.
Weve helped to turn them
around, make something of
their lives, to get an education,
to get a job.
Ive loved every minute of it.
Foster children are no
different from your own
children.They maybe just
havent had the start in life
that other children have. But
its our job to give them that
life that every child deserves,
says Natalie Picton, a foster
parent for the past 13 years.
Foster Care Fortni ght 2014
Its denitely changed...
our lives for the better..
Fostering full page WT advert 320x259_Layout 1 09/05/2014 10:56 Page 1
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 23 westerntelegraph.co.uk