Long-service awards marked not only appreciation of the crucial role that foster carers play in the lives of young people and the community as a whole, but also the commitment over decades that has been made by these often-unsung heroes.

The council is looking for new foster carers who live in South Lanarkshire and would especially welcome those who could support older children and children from family groups to ensure siblings can continue to live together.

Further information and a chance to make an enquiry about fostering can be found on the council website.

Receiving awards for a decade of service were Sadie McCarvil, Margot and David Toussaint, James and Rita Russell, Donna and Gordon Prince, Brian and Susan Allison, Fionna and John Lindsay, and Jason and Lee Watt.

Two awards were presented for 15 years of fostering, and went to Fiona Donaldson and Ian Cope, and Natalie Innes and William Paterson.

The occasion also allowed for foster carers who were retiring to be recognised and thanked – in this case it was Liz and Colin Macinnes, James and Rita Russell, Robert and Anne Gracie, Elizabeth and John McNee, and Susan Kearns, who between them have racked up more than half a century of fostering with the council.

Several other foster carers had also reached notable lengths of service, but were unable to attend the ceremony.

Professor Soumen Sengupta, Chief Officer of South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership said: “I was extremely humbled to meet with such generous and kind people who have given so much of themselves to provide such vital support to children and young people and let them feel safe and loved within a family.

“They have changed the trajectory of the lives of countless children and young people in South Lanarkshire for the better and I would urge anyone who is thinking about becoming a foster carer to contact us to learn more.”