A Hull woman who was adopted as a child has been reunited with her birth mother thanks to the help of a Yorkshire charity.

It was not until she had children of her own that she became interested in finding her natural parent.

She turned to After Adoption Yorkshire for help - and is now in regular contact with her 78-year-old mother, who lives in New Zealand, and a brother and sister she never knew existed.

The woman, who asked not to be named, is now a volunteer for the charity.

"When I had children of my own I had some inkling of the pain that could be involved in giving them up," said the 41-year-old.

She says the charity was able to give her invaluable advice on issues she had never considered.

"They helped me think about what I'd have done if my mum was dead or hadn't wanted to see me," she said.

"My mother was appalled to start with, but once she'd got over the shock she was delighted. Now were learning how to fit into each others lives."

The story of Allison Rawcliffe of York, who decide to give up her baby girl for adoption when she was18, did not have such a happy ending.

Mrs Rawcliffe tried to contact her daughter, but found she did not want to know her.

But she said the charities help and support changed her life.

"I gave her up because of her age. I had a supportive family but wasn't given the information about benefits or that I might have the option of keeping her," she said.

Now Mrs Rawcliffe runs an After Adoption birth mothers support group in Leeds.

"The Charity has changed my life. I found it very difficult when my daughter didn't want to contact me.

"Five years ago I couldn't mention adoption, but now I can stand up in a room full of people and talk about my experiences.

If you would like to volunteer your help, call (0113) 230 2100.