“I’d worked in safeguarding for a long time,” she explains. “I always knew how much children needed safe homes. I just never imagined I’d be the one providing one.” 

Everything changed when her husband of forty years died unexpectedly. “The house was silent. It felt like nobody needed me anymore … and caring had always been my purpose.”  

Following a difficult day at work supporting a grieving father, Tina felt she wanted to help people in a more hands-on way.  

A social worker she knew well gently teased “Well we’ve got lots of little ones who need someone like you.” That same afternoon, sitting in a friend’s garden with a cup of tea, Tina spoke for the first time about fostering as a real possibility. “So I signed up … it felt like life pulling me where I was meant to go.” 

Her first foster child arrived unexpectedly one Friday morning. Though the early days were warm and hopeful, it later became extremely challenging. Tina handled it with compassion and unwavering care. “She was hurting. Deeply. And hurt comes out sideways,” Tina said. “Even when it got tough, I never stopped wanting her to be safe.”  

Today, Tina cares long‑term for a young brother and sister who have brought laughter and purpose back into her home. “Struggling doesn’t mean finished … We help put the pieces back together.” 

One memory that stays with her is the day she broke her ankle while protecting the children from a falling lamp. “I was on the floor in agony,” she says, “and my little boy calmly said, ‘Shall I activate our safety plan?’ I’d never been more proud.” 

To Tina, fostering is simple: “It’s a lifeline - now, not later. I want to be the person someone calls when a child needs safety tonight.” 

She chose the Royal British Legion for her photograph because it represents community. “Everyone knows us there,” she said. “It’s warmth. It’s belonging.” 

And her message for new carers? “Fostering isn’t all bubble baths and clean sheets - it’s patience, learning, and heart. But if you’re willing to grow with them … it will change your world.”