Tributes paid to foster carer of 17 years, Audrey Saunders, who died suddenly

Tributes have poured in for a “dedicated and committed” foster carer who died suddenly earlier this month.
Hackney foster carer, Audrey Saunders, 66, who had looked after vulnerable children in the borough for 17 years, sadly passed away in the early hours of Wednesday 14 October.
The loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother will be honoured and remembered at a funeral service today (Thursday 29 October).
She leaves behind birth children Francesca, Dionne, Toni, Junior and Sarah-Louise; ten grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; as well as the 32 children she fostered.
Daughter Toni paid tribute to her mother’s dedication to fostering: “For mummy, nothing was a challenge - she just knew how to do it.
“Her kind calmness meant that she was a natural foster carer, she loved seeing all the kids move onto a permanent home where they could do well in life.
“Fostering is about dealing with a child’s feelings, mummy loved teaching the kids about the things we take for granted in our own childhood. She was one in a million.”

Audrey will be sorely missed by the children she cared for, her fellow foster carers and all the social care staff at Hackney.
She was a positive, dedicated and committed foster carer who made a huge difference to the children she cared for.
It was with great pleasure that we were able to recognise her dedication and long service at our annual foster carer celebration this year.
The funeral will take place at the City of London cemetery at 3.30pm. Flowers and charity donations are welcome.