It’s a goal! Wakefield joins UK wide fostering World Cup campaign

Wakefield Council currently has 195 children in its care that would like to be fostered.

Wakefield Council is one of 26 local authorities across the UK to form a team during the World Cup, ‘Local Councils United’, with the aim of scoring just one goal – recruiting more foster carers.

As football fever sweeps the nation, fostering teams in Wakefield and 25 other local councils are seizing the chance to use the attention that football brings, especially during the World Cup, to encourage more people to consider fostering.

On every match day, throughout the tournament, a participating council will be sharing a football-themed video clip, that offers their perspective on why people should foster.

Wakefield Council is taking their shot today (Thursday) with the release of their video.

Showing off their footballing skills and the reasons why residents should pick Fostering Wakefield as their winning team are players from New College Pontefract, council staff from across the services, and Wakefield’s very own Karen Wright, a former contestant on tv favourite, The Great British Bake Off.

It features locations across the district, giving a nod to Wakefield’s rich landscape and culture, alongside the unique positives of fostering for Wakefield.

The spotlight on recruiting more foster carers comes at a time when there is a local and national shortage.

According to The Fostering Network, 9,300 additional foster carers are needed in the UK in the next 12 months. Wakefield Council currently has 195 children in its care that would like to be fostered.

Coun Margaret Isherwood, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “Across the country and in the district, there is a great need for foster carers, to give children in care a chance to be in a loving home.

“Just as the country is uniting behind their national side, this campaign shows a united fostering community sharing with as many people as possible, why you should choose fostering.

“Please do watch our video to discover the fantastic reasons to foster and the support we offer to foster carers.”

The video can be seen at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BLlo9kBppg or by searching ‘Let someone into your world, this World Cup’ on You Tube.

Anyone interested in being part of Wakefield’s squad of foster carers can find out more information and make an enquiry at www.wakefield.gov.uk/fostering or call the team on 0800 197 0320.