A COUPLE who have devoted 30 years of their lives to fostering children and young people are to receive an award.

Kath and George Buckley fostered their first youngster in 1974 and, since then, have opened their home to 85 young people.

The couple, from Derwentside, are Durham County Council's longest-serving foster carers, and will be among 20 people to receive awards on Monday night at County Hall.

Mr Buckley, 64, and Mrs Buckley, 62, are hoping to continue fostering until they have looked after 100 children.

Mrs Buckley said: "We were talking about fostering a couple of years ago and said we would go on until we had reached 30 years.

"But now we have passed that milestone, we thought we would aim to look after 100 children.

Awards for ten, 15, 20 and 25 years' service to fostering, as well as awards for achieving NVQ level three in childcare in the past year will be presented at the ceremony.

Debbie Jones, the county council's acting head of social care and health, said: "People such as Kath and George, and indeed everyone who will be at the ceremony, deserve the highest praise and warmest thanks for opening their homes and their hearts to help young people."