Bondholders back first ever Fostering Festival

Several Marketing Derby Bondholders have backed the city’s first ever Fostering Festival, which was organised by Derby City Council’s fostering service.

Held to launch Foster Care Fortnight, which began on 15 May, the festival saw a number of businesses and organisations come together to support the all-day event, which took place at Springfield Primary School.

More than 200 people attended the event, which celebrated Derby’s fostering community and thanked carers for their dedication.

The day featured a range of activities, food and entertainment provided by local businesses for foster carers and their families.

Among the businesses and organisations who supported the event were Derby County Community Trust, Derby County, Derby Arena, Project D and Bridge the Gap.

Judy Levitt, the city council’s principal service manager in fostering and permanence, said: “We want to say a huge ‘thank you’ to the businesses who supported our first Fostering Festival, including SmartParc for their generous donation to buy refreshments.

“Thanks also to Springfield Primary, particularly their headteacher David Blackwell, for supporting our vision to provide this festival.

“We couldn’t have done it without the community’s support.

“The day was a great success, and it was such an important event to thank our foster carers for their outstanding contribution to support the lives of Derby’s most vulnerable children.”

There are now more than 600 Derby children in care, and more foster carers are desperately needed to provide safe and loving foster homes.

Foster families give children who cannot live with their birth family the care and stability they need.

Derby foster carer Graham Pyman is the senior leader of Derby’s Jubilee Church, which donated pizza for the festival.

He said: “We thought supporting this event would be a good opportunity for us to say ‘thank you’ to our foster carers for all they do for the community.

“My wife Sarah and I have been fostering for eight years and we feel it’s a great opportunity to make a real difference to a young person’s life.”

One of the organisations who provided activities at the festival was Derby County Community Trust.

Sara Adcock, physical activity and health officer at the trust, said: “As part of our role we work closely with young people in lots of different situations.

“To go along and support the festival and the city’s fostering families was brilliant. It was really inspirational to see how dedicated the foster carers are and how happy the children were.”

The trust has just been awarded Fostering Friendly status, meaning it has committed to support employees who foster and help promote and celebrate fostering.

Derby City Council is encouraging other businesses to make the same pledge by agreeing a flexible working policy offering foster carers and those preparing to foster.

If your business is interested in supporting Derby City Council’s fostering events through sponsorship, or you are interested in joining the Fostering Friendly scheme, contact Judy at judy.levitt@derby.gov.uk or call 01332 640284.

For more information about fostering visit https://www.derby.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/fostering/ .