Jeanette
Website
The story began years ago. Jeanette was out shopping and saw a boy shop lifting. She made him put the item back and took him home to his mother. She then got to know many children in the East End who were on the sidelines of society. They had nothing to occupy them so Jeanette started a club for them.
She began to get to know the children better and some came to her for weekends with their parent's permission. Later the local Social Services department asked her to foster certain children.
The family grew and she was helped by her friend Joyce. They shared a flat and looked after the children between them. After a while Jeanette gave up her job to look after the children. Joyce continued to work until 1985.
In 1985 the family had the opportunity to move to a house in the country. The Old Convent.
More information can be found in the book "House of Tomorrow" by Claire Lorrimer.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s Jeanette was approached by various local authorities to take on several children. Among them were large sibling groups who would not have been able to be accommodated together elsewhere. Some came from disturbed backgrounds or had experienced severe trauma in the past.
Jeanette and the rest of us did our best to provide these children with a happy childhood for as long as they were with us.
Jeanette later gave up fostering new children although she continued to care for those she was already fostering, in some cases she gained residence orders on those children.
Older members of the family began to leave home to undertake training or start their own independent lives. Some married and/or started their own families. Jeanette became a grandmother many times over. Some more adults with learning disabilities also joined the family.
The property was bought by a trust called Family in Trust, a charity.
In 1994 the renovation of the house and other buildings began, the house first, finishing in 1997 with the annex.
In 1998 the kitchen was re-tiled and refashioned. Most of the work was done by members of the family.
In 1998 there were about 30 people living here.
For details of what happened next please see "1998 and all that"
Home What is the Roberts family? History House of Tomorrow
1998 and all that (the raid) Who's at home now?
Injunction Latest News Great News! Why the raid? Religious bit