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She was the daughter of Grimsby drug addicts who was taken into care at the age of just two. And he was the son of a woman battling metal health problems and who never knew his father.

But despite astonishing odds stacked against them Sarah Fenwick and Gareth Pennington have become an inspiring success story.

Now 15 years after meeting in a care home they have found love with one another, started a successful business and have a family of their very own.

They now hope their own story will help give hope to others struggling to cope with losing families and parents.

Sarah, who was born in Grimsby, was taken into care at just two and half years old, where she was initially placed with foster parents. This arrangement broke down and she had to live in a care home with five other children.

Her parents were drug addicts who also suffered with mental health problems, which meant that they were unable to care for her as a child. Gareth's mother also suffered with difficulties with her mental health and he has never known his father.

(Image: Grimsby Live/ Connor Lynch)

The pair have described the difficulties that they faced leaving the care system, saying that it felt like "they were left on their own" as they tried to find their way in the world.

However, over the years they have received help from former staff members who worked at the care home in Hull where they grew up, and the Hull Youth Enterprise Partnership which helped them launch their business.

Sarah said: "I first met Gareth when we were both placed in a care home in Hull together 15 years ago. At the time we had a little bit of fling, but it was nothing serious, and I never imagined that we would be here now, with two children, starting our own business together.

"When I left the care home, we lost contact with each other, as I was living in a hostel until I managed to get a flat for myself. Then when I did I found out that he was living down the road at his mum's house again, because he wanted to be with her as he missed her so much.

"We have pretty much been together ever since and never looked back.

"When you are in a care home, there are lots of members of staff who are very supportive and help you while you are there, but once you leave at 17 , it can be quite horrific, it feels like you are just left to fend for yourself, and those first few months alone were really a struggle.

(Image: Sarah Fenwick)

"I can remember our first Christmas together in the flat, we had no food and no presents, but were determined to make the most of it. Then a little miracle happened, and a lady who used to work at the care home with us called Lorraine, called at our door and told us that she was going to take us out shopping.

"She told us to fill up our trolleys with everything that we needed, including a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, and paid for it all. Then later that night she came back to the house with a huge bag of presents for us to put under the tree, it was one of the kindest things that anyone has ever done for us, it was amazing."

Sarah managed to get a job working in sales for KCOM, while Gareth achieved a diploma in horticulture before getting a job at Hull City Council as a tree surgeon, which he worked at for seven years.

The experience that he gained working for the council, where he worked on "every different type of tree you can imagine", gave Gareth the confidence to try and branch out and start his own business, with Sarah supporting him every step of the way.

(Image: Sarah Fenwick)

Gareth said: "When I first got a job with the council, I started noticing the work that the tree surgeons did, so I asked my boss if he would give me a chance at it, and he let me, telling me not to let him down.

"I am sure that I didn't because I spent seven years in that role, working on every different type of tree that you can imagine, and through that I got the confidence to want to step out and start a business with Sarah."

The Hull Youth Enterprise Partnership played a big part in helping the couple establish their own tree surgeon business, called Tree Fellas, providing them with support grants and mentors to get them up and running.

Sarah also credits her boss at KCOM, where she still works, for his support and guidance, saying that he has been a tremendous role model to her.

Sarah said: "The support that we have received from the Hull Youth Enterprise Partnership was amazing, they help us secure support grants and brought in mentors from other larger businesses who helped to teach us about doing our accounts and finance, managing assets and getting the business up and running.

"We really wouldn't be where we are today without them."

The couple now have two young daughters, Alyissa, 6, and Eva, 4, who have also thrown themselves into the business and believe that their dad is the very best tree surgeon in the country.

(Image: Sarah Fenwick)

They say that their children have given them an even stronger drive to succeed, as they want to be able to give them everything that they missed out on as children.

Sarah said: "It is very tough trying to hold down two jobs at once, while also trying to raise a family, but after everything that we went through in care, we are determined to make sure that we are able to give our daughters everything that we missed out on as children and ensure that they have the best upbringing possible.

"It is amazing how proud they are of us, they are constantly bragging about how amazing their dad is at being a tree surgeon and they will certainly let you know their feelings if you tell them that Gareth is not the best in the country.

"It can feel very overwhelming at times, but since we started up six months ago, we have just gone from strength to strength and met our 12 month target for the business in six.

"Everything that we make we are reinvesting back into new equipment, and we hope one day that we will have our own yard and an office of our own."

(Image: Sarah Fenwick)

They also hope that once they are more established, they will be able to help out other children who are leaving care, and show them that it is not a lost cause and you can make a success of yourself.

Gareth said: "One of the things that I would like to do the most is start up a scheme where we would be able to bring a care leaver on board with us, so that we can support them as they head out into the world.

"There can often be a stigma around kids leaving care, which can make it very hard for them and they can also have issues with their mental health, which we fully understand.

"Whatever I can do to help others that were in my situation, I will do it, because it can be very easy to be led along the wrong path and end up somewhere you don't want to be.

"There needs to be more support out there for care leavers, and while some areas are starting to do things, there are many places where there is nothing for them."

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