'I was on furlough from work and made a decision which completely changed my life'

It was May 2020. And like millions of others, Jayne Weekes was on furlough from her job with the pandemic having brought the country to a standstill.

For Jayne, 62,. from Fallowfield, it was a pivotal moment in her life and career. She had grown up working first of all in shops and bars and then for her builder brother in his offices, before starting out in the travel industry.

She had spent almost 20 years working as a business travel consultant and loved it. But with Covid lockdown restrictions meaning the sector was in limbo for the foreseeable future, she decided she needed a change.

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Jayne, from a large Irish family, grew up with three siblings plus a half brother, and eventually 10 stepbrothers and sisters, as well as lots of cousins, all of whom were very close to each other.

But during that period of 2020, the family also had to come to terms with the loss of their mum Kay. And it was at this point that Jayne began to think about doing something that involved caring for others.

"I decided I wanted to do something in the care industry because I'm that kind of person, I like looking after people," she said. Being from such a large and loving family, looking after children was something that had always been dear to her heart.

Jayne and her bus driver husband Ritchie have a daughter, but she had flown the nest and by the time Covid came around had four children of her own.

So the couple decided to give fostering a go. They went through a rigorous assessment process together whilst she was on furlough. Four years on, they are seasoned foster carers who have made an enormous difference to the lives of numerous children.

She says she gets enormous satisfaction from it, especially the difference she sees in them after the first few weeks.

""I love making that difference in their lives." she says. "They start to see a different side of life - it's just nice to show them there's a big wide world out there. It's so rewarding, I love it. I only wish I'd done it years ago."

""Fostering is just so rewarding on so many levels." she continues. "It's definitely how my life was meant to be, and I feel so many children in the care system have missed out on what I could have done for them over the years. If I had a Lottery win, I'd buy a big house and look after even more of them."

Many parents say they find the teenage years the most challenging, but Jayne says she relishes working with kids of that age. Teenagers are great, it's just sad to see them have to go through so much." she says.

"They've got so much more understanding and awareness about the world around them, but when you connect with them, they know you're there to keep them safe. They're all different characters, but I've had lots of experience of them, which helps me understand them better."

As young people from across Manchester prepare to return to their university studies or go off to university for the first time, council bosses are asking the city's empty-nesters to think about putting all their years' experience of bringing up children to good use and to consider fostering some of the city's most vulnerable children and young people.

To find out more you can click here or call 0300 303 0321 between 9am and 5pm on weekdays.