Torquay United AFC is delighted to be joining forces with Torbay Children’s Services to highlight the need for new foster carers within our local community.
With the Club’s latest community venture seeing up to 1,000 of the Bay’s NHS and care industry workers being invited to attend this weekend’s as guests, United will be extending the goodwill of community spirit even further, by making free tickets available to foster families through Torbay for the rest of the season.
Annette Soloman, Fostering Recruitment & Events Coordinator for Torbay Council, told United’s Community Media Officer Matt Rogan a little about her role.
“One of my main roles is the recruitment of foster carers, therefore ultimately I’m aiming to try and recruit as many foster carers as possible to be able to provide homes for our cared for children. We are always looking for more foster carers to join our fostering families, to ensure that all of our children have the right home at the right time.
“In particular, we are looking for fostering families in or close to Torbay, in order that we can maintain a home environment for a child as close to their local network as possible. What we are trying to do is recruit as many foster carers to try and keep the children within the local area, however for a very few children living outside of the Bay is right but for most they need to live local and closer to their families.
“We have a new communications officer called Lara, and we have been working closely to ensure that our message about fostering reaches as many people as possible. Recently we’ve advertised on the local buses about the ‘We Are Family’ campaign, and the focus was to remind people that you do not need to live in the Bay to foster for Torbay.”
The aim of partnership with Torquay United AFC is not only to document the need for new carers, but also to promote the positive impact fostering families can provide to local, cared for children who are unable to live with their birth families.
“Torquay United are promoting fostering for us, and the Club was very kind in offering our foster carers free tickets. I have sent an email out to all our foster carers saying Torquay United have kindly provided free tickets for this weekend’s match.
“Torquay United have also offered us free tickets to every home game for the whole season, and I will email this offer to all the foster carers. We have a foster carers forum every three months, so this will be something that I will actually raise and get feedback from the families that are attending these events, to look at what impact this has on our children and our fostering families.
“I think with regards to Torquay United and their offer of support, it’s absolutely brilliant. I think even just by advertising on the website and in programmes, it is providing a focus on fostering, and what it entails and how people can express an interest. People spent a lot more time at home, spent a lot more time with their families, and this might make people realise this is something that they can and want to do.”
Of the new partnership, Matt added:
“Finding new foster carers is a clear priority for Torbay Children’s Services, and it’s great that Torquay United and Torbay Council have joined forces to highlight this need.
“It’s just another example of working together to get the best results for the local community.”
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