Rarely a week goes by without this newspaper highlighting a local person who is unselfishly helping someone less fortunate than themselves.

Last week we reported how volunteers from Kirkby Lonsdale and Carnforth were offering free medical clinics for sick children in Uganda. This week we report how Lakes man Elliot Berry is helping to secure education for fatherless, abused or neglected boys in Kenya.

These are prime examples of the caring nature of so many people in our community. Other examples are those unsung heroes who serve as foster carers and adopted parents for children who, for whatever reason, cannot be looked after or brought up by their birth parents.

Today The Westmorland Gazette launches You Could Be Their Someone, which aims to find permanent homes for dozens of children waiting to be adopted in Cumbria.

While we hope people will come forward to look after children of all ages, we are particularly encouraging readers who might want to adopt an older child, aged between three and ten. Nearly half of the 70 children waiting for adoption in Cumbria at the moment are between these ages.

Many children awaiting adoption have experienced inconsistent care and, in some cases, traumatic incidents.They need parents who are able to provide stability and help them to put their experiences into context.

Making a decision to adopt a child is certainly not an easy one. It comes with huge responsibility. But, as stories the newspaper will feature over the coming weeks will show, it can also be a hugely rewarding process for both adopters and the children who can find a loving, new family.

There are many myths surrounding adoption which might put some people off. This newspaper will be dispelling those myths and also highlighting how to apply to adopt a child.

It is our fervent hope that the campaign will help persuade people to attend special drop-in events this month at Kendal, Ulverston and Cockermouth or to visit www.cumbria.gov.uk/adoption to find out more.