Mother's mission for 'lost' children

Freda McGrath, of Darlington, reluctantly gave up her daughter for adoption in the 1960s.

In 1998, she decided to try to trace her daughter, now called Jane Hodge, and was soon reunited. It turned out that Jane lived just a short distance away, in Hartlepool.

Mother and daughter have since regained a close relationship, and Mrs McGrath is now eager to help other people find their birth parents or be reunited with their children.

Mrs McGrath said: "I did not have a clue where my daughter would be, or how to find her. I contacted social services and they got in touch with the adoption agency, Durham Family Welfare.

"Once my papers were found, it was quite easy for them to get in touch with Jane, who was happy to meet me."

She would like to help others in a similar situation. So, in conjunction with social services in Durham, Mrs McGrath and a group of women with similar experiences, are setting up a support group for adopted people.

Anyone looking for a loved one who was adopted, or searching for a birth family, can visit the group for advice or support.

Mrs McGrath and the other volunteers already work for Durham Family Welfare and have experience of talking to people involved in adoption.

She said: "As well as our voluntary work, we all have our own experiences which can help us support other families.

"We cannot actively look for anyone, but we can give contacts of groups that could help, as well as just being there to talk to people making the big decision to find someone."

The group's first meeting is on October 31, and Mrs McGrath is looking for sponsorship to help fund monthly meetings.

She said: "The Government does not pay for this sort of work, so we are looking for donations from individuals and businesses. We will be holding raffles at the first meeting to try to raise some money for leaflets and things."

Anyone is welcome to attend the meeting, from 1pm to 4pm at the Dolphin Centre, Darlington.