How Niaill is making a difference for children in care in the North East
Niaill is the Team Leader at East Farm Cottage children’s home in Northumberland. During his time at Action for Children, he's been making a difference to children and young people's lives across the North East.
Both Niaill's mum and his wife were adopted at a very young age, and his parents were foster carers during his childhood. He recalls being "very much a part of their caring experience” and reflects on the memories fondly.
These early life experiences directly impacted Niaill's career. He began in adult and youth education, before moving to the charity sector where he's worked for over 15 years.
We asked Niaill why he chose to move into the care sector:
“I wanted to use my skills to help young people who need adult support, while working in a sector that reflected my childhood memories of my parents' fostering. But I also wanted to give something back to the sector that gave my mum and wife so many happy memories.”
The last couple of years at Action for Children have been a bit of a whirlwind, but a thoroughly enjoyable one.
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Throughout his time with Action for Children, Niaill has taken on extra activities to make a difference for children across the North East.
Last year, he helped the North East Fundraising Team secure a sponsor to buy bikes for three children's homes in the region. This included East Farm, where they managed to get four bikes.
His motivation was to make sure the young people had lots of fond memories to look back on. Memories that would be typical for children outside of the care system.
Securing bikes for the young people in the North East isn’t the only way Niaill has gone above and beyond. Just before Christmas, he also took a young person ‘den building’ in the local forest. The experience helped engage the young person. But it also helped them bond with other children living at the home when they returned.
When describing the experience, Niaill said:
“They spent lots of their Christmas holidays building dens. And after, they began planning a sleep out for when the weather improved. The most rewarding and important thing though is how the activity helped them bond as peers. It means they find it easier to live together.”
Last year, we helped 765,905 families, children, and young people. With your help, we could reach more.
In February this year, Niaill completed Fatima's 29 mile challenge to help bring safe and happy childhoods to more children and young people in the UK.
The challenge was led by our celebrity ambassador, Fatima Whitbread, with the aim of encouraging people to walk, run, or jog 29 miles across the leap-year month. It was great preparation for the Great North Run, which Niaill is undertaking this September.
"Everyone can care, even if not in the care sector. There's a caring attitude in everyone and we need to encourage everybody to embrace theirs. But I'd also say that, from my experience, a career in care is one that offers so many opportunities. Training, apprenticeships, and development are all part of the process. And working for Action for Children has given me the opportunity to enhance my skills and progression."
“It’s fast paced and everyday is different. But you’re likely to get a highly supportive team that will help you at every step of your career. The teamwork is fantastic!”
Most of all, I love seeing the young people I work with make real progress through the opportunities we give them.
"To anyone thinking about a career in the care sector, I would say “go for it. The sector needs people like you!”
Every 15 minutes, a child goes into care in the UK. From that moment, their whole world is turned upside down. But with people like Niaill by their side, they can be a child like any other and find the place to call home they deserve.
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