All adopted children will have experienced some form of loss through being separated from their birth families.

Unfortunately many will also have suffered neglect or abuse in those families. For some children, this trauma can lead to emotional, behavioural or developmental difficulties, which may also affect their ability to form secure attachments with their new parents.

Banbury-based charity Adoption UK supports adoptive parents by providing information, training and guidance at all stages of the adoption process.

It provides access to a range of services including a national helpline, local support groups, an active online forum, a Family Support Service, training courses and a lending library.

Its family-finding service, Children Who Wait, puts prospective adoptive parents directly in contact with adoption agencies, helping those children waiting for new families.

Adoption UK listens to the changing needs of adoptive families and develops new services to meet those needs, such as improving online services, setting up new support groups, or designing innovative training programmes.

Established in 1971, it is the only national self-help charity run by and for adoptive parents and foster carers, offering support before, during and after adoption.

The charity relies on the support of Oxfordshire’s volunteers for all aspects of their work, from stuffing envelopes in the office to running marathons.

Volunteers are the charity’s local community representatives and their role within the organisation is highly valued, and they receive ongoing training and support. Now the charity is hoping to raise more than £10,000 through its Grand Raffle to support their vital work helping adoptive parents look after some of the country’s most traumatised children.

The lucky 1st prize winner will be drawn on December 20 to win £2012 just in time for Christmas. Every single pound counts. Adoption UK has sold 3000 tickets so far but would love to hit their 10,000-ticket target. Tickets cost £1 a ticket and are also available in books of 10.

Please email Adoption UK’s Fundraising Officer, Kalli Hampton kalli@adoptionuk.org.uk or call 01295 752 240 for more details.

Visit www.adoptionuk.org.uk to find out more about the charity and how you can volunteer with them.

If you want to contribute to this column contact Sarah Beer at Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA) by email at
voluntaryvoice@ocva.org.uk