The Prime Minister will thank churches and Christian organisations for their contribution to society in a church service on Sunday.

Theresa May is due to speak at the Conservative party conference annual church service at Gas Street Church in Birmingham.

One of the organisations being singled out for praise is Home for Good, which works with churches to find homes for children in need of fostering and adoption.

Theresa May, who is a Christian, will thank churches and Christian organisations for their ongoing work to 'find solutions to some of society's most intractable challenges'.

She will say, 'I want to express my thanks to all those who contribute so much to our country through their work in local churches and Christian organisations.

'Across the United Kingdom, people motivated by their Christian faith are giving up their time to serve their communities, to support vulnerable people, and to find solutions to some of society's most intractable challenges.

'Nothing demonstrates that better than Home for Good's inspiring work to provide loving homes to children through fostering and adoption.'

Ahead of Sunday's service, Home for Good warned that the number of children entering the care system rose by 3% between March 2016 and and March 2017 to over 72,000.

At present, the number of children waiting for adoption in England outweighs the number of families looking to adopt by almost 3 to 1, with 1,115 children currently waiting to be placed with a home compared to only 412 families.

During the three-day Conservative party conference next week, Home for Good will give MPs a special key as a reminder of the part they can play in helping more children find a loving home.

Home for Good founder and adoptive father Dr Krish Kandiah will use the church service on Sunday to invite conference delegates to consider opening up their homes to children in need of fostering or adoption.

He explained the idea behind the gift of the key: 'A friend who was unable to live with his family said the moment he knew that he was loved and trusted by the family caring for him, was when they gave him a front door key to their home. That little key was a poignant picture of welcome and acceptance.'