Lancashire
Current Barnardo’s Services in Lancashire
- Action with Young Carers Bolton
- Bay 6
- Blackburn Project
- Blackpool Project
- Bury Children's Rights
- Include me 2
- NW-Fostering
- NW Homelessness- Fresh Roots Resettlement Service
- NW Homelessness – Moving On
- NW Homelessness - Rachel House
- NW Homelessness - The Tap
- Rochdale Services
Case study
Mr and Mrs Farooqi’s Story
Suleman and Nasareen Farrooqi have been married for 32 years and live in Manchester with their family. They have three sons who are all married with their own families and two adult daughters that still live at home with their parents.
Mr Farooqi has led an interesting life which he believes has given him great skills and experience to foster a child and help to enrich their life.
He was a professional cricketer who was born and raised in Pakistan until he came to Enlgand in 1972 to play against England. He then went on to play for Thornham Cricket Club, Austerland Cricket Club and finally Saddleworth Cricket Club before he joined the coaching staff of Lancashire Cricket Club in 1986.
Suleman’s professional cricket career was unfortunately cut short when he fell during play and injured the upper part of his spine which left him with limited use of his legs. Through sheer determination, physiotherapy and support from his family he has battled back to enjoy more independence than was previously hoped for him and led him and his wife to start to think about fostering a child.
Mrs Farooqi had always hoped to foster a child and this, coupled with her husbands injury, led the couple to investigate fostering a child less fortunate than themselves and they were especially keen to foster a disabled child.
She said:
Fostering a child is one of the best things my husband and I have done. We enjoy lovely family time together and regularly go out to the cinema and to the park and it’s lovely to see that we are bringing up a very happy little boy.
Our foster son is doing very well at school and is extremely settled in his life with us, he is a star in the whole family's eyes.
Having him in our family has enriched our lives so much and I can honestly say to other people thinking of fostering that you will never look back. It has been a wonderful experience and one that I would certainly recommend.
