Louise Allen

Louise Allen was a foster child who underwent an unspeakably tough childhood with cruel and sadistic foster-parents in the 1970s. She managed to stay alive by eating scraps fed to her by travellers camping nearby and found solace in the beauty of the natural world. At the age of 15 she ran away but found herself in a series of abusive relationships and resorted to drugs and alcohol to bury her pain. Eventually, her skills in painting and drawing and her determination not to let her childhood define her were what helped her forge a healthy adult life. The publication of her book, THROWN AWAY CHILD,  in December 2017 coincided with the start of her new campaign, Looking After Looked After Children. She firmly believes that there is hope for all children who have been abused and that a damaged childhood does not need to scar a person for life.

Now happily married with her own children, she also fosters children herself, doing what she can to right the wrongs still being perpetrated against foster children. She campaigns vigorously to change the system in which bureaucracy still trumps common sense. She is currently Press Officer for the Union of Foster Care Workers (FCWU) Union FCWU and works with Thames Valley Police on training for talking to abuse victims. She works with of Families for Children and is a Trustee for Spaeda, an arts education charity. She is also part of an All Party Parliamentary Group looking into the provision of fostering and adoption services.
 
Louise has appeared on BBC's Front Row, That’s Life, Loose Women and This Morning.

She also writes and illustrates stories for children in care, fostered or adopted or living in split families.

Visit Louise Allen's website.
Follow Louise on Instagram.
​Listen to Louise on Front Row.
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