When the Macauley's decided to adopt they took on two daughters. And as the beaming couple tell RACHEL SHARP, that's double the joy.

LIFE without their adopted daughters Tammy and Loretta is simply unimaginable now for happy couple Karen and Archie Macauley.

A beaming Karen, 47, explains: "The girls came to live with us in August 2000, and we adopted them in May 2001.

"I wouldn't change anything for the world. It has just been amazing. Where the girls are now emotionally is a thousand times better than the place they were in four years ago. To see that is hugely rewarding."

When the Hillingdon couple decided to adopt, they knew exactly what they wanted.

Karen, 47, explains: "Because we were in the older age category we decided we didn't really want young babies, we would rather have older children, and we also wanted to take on a sibling pair."

So Karen and husband Archie, 60, went straight to Hillingdon Council's adoption service. And the approval process was not as long as Karen feared. She says: "We had been led to believe that the whole process would take around 18 months, but it actually only took a year."

Once they had been approved to adopt, they were told that although Hillingdon had no sibling children who matched their criteria, they were free to look around other boroughs to find a sibling pair who needed a home.

Karen said: "Hillingdon Council were a marvellous help, and very proactive in helping us look."

The couple found Tammy and Loretta, then aged just five and four years old.

There are around 30 children waiting in care in Hillingdon for permanent families, and adoptive families are particularly wanted for older children as well as brothers and sisters who need to stay together.

Karen insists adopting older children is just as rewarding.

She says: "Archie has five boys from a previous marriage, and he says that there is not one iota of difference to how he feels about the girls compared to the boys. They are simply your children."

Last week was national adoption week, a UK-wide campaign organised by the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) with the aim of helping to find more families willing to adopt. Ann Holmes, adoption team manager at Hillingdon Council, says: "I urge people thinking about adopting to get in touch with us. People can sometimes convince themselves they will not be seriously considered because, for example, they're single, over 40 or do not own their own home.

"They may also be anxious about the adoption process.

She continues: "We are looking for all sorts of people to provide loving and permanent homes. We're here to help them through the process at any time of the year."

Felicity Collier, Chief Executive of BAAF, said: "Too many children and young people wait far too long for a permanent family.

"Many of them have had a very difficult start to their lives, others have learning difficulties or health problems and so it's even more crucial that loving and stable families are found for them."

Karen Macaulay said: "Hillingdon also has a fantastic post adoptive support service, the council has just been fantastic.

"I would urge people not to listen to the popular myths about being too old, the wrong colour, the wrong religion, and get it from the horses mouth instead.

"It will be worthwhile to anyone thinking about it just to find out. Adoption is not a poor second best to IVF or any other way of conceiving. It has been for us an incredibly uplifting experience."

To find out more about adoption call Hillingdon's adoption team on freephone 0800 783 1298 or visit www.hillingdon.gov.uk and search 'adoption'