We've been helping Adoption Matters Northwest highlight the plight of hundreds of local children waiting for the chance of a new start with a new family.

As part of National Adoption Week (9-13 November), the agency organised a number of symbolic tree-planting events as a means to encourage more people to consider becoming adoptive parents.

"Of the 4,000 children nationally who remain in care waiting to be adopted, 600 are from the Northwest including Greater Manchester," said Adoption Matters Northwest Chief Executive, Norman Goodwin.

"I hope that the simple act of planting a single tree for each group of 100 local children will be poignant enough to encourage people to think about all the children who can no longer live with their birth families, and perhaps consider whether they could become adopters."