Swindon Town players will wear special t-shirts during the warm-up before tomorrow's - 27 April - final match of the season at home to Morecambe to raise awareness of fostering.
The football club has teamed up with Swindon Borough Council’s fostering team to support their appeal for more foster carers to come forward and provide a loving home for children who have no-one to care for them.
At present, more than 300 children, from babies to teenagers, are under the care of the council because they cannot stay in their own home.
Around a third of these children and young people are living miles away from Swindon, separated from their family and friends because the council does not have enough local foster carers who can provide a home.
In an effort to encourage people to take the first step to see if foster caring is for them, 20 blue t-shirts with ‘Foster with Swindon’ on them will be worn by Town players ahead of kick-off to promote fostering to the thousands of fans in attendance.
The t-shirt promotion was proposed by Hayley, a foster carer with the council who wanted to encourage others to start their fostering journey with the local authority and celebrate those who are already part of the team.
Marieanna MacPherson, Fostering Recruitment and Retention Officer at the council, said: “We are so grateful to Hayley for coming up with the idea of asking the football club and the players to get behind our push for more foster carers.
“Fostering can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can ever hope to receive and it will literally transform the life of a young person. Carers can come from all walks of life and be married, single or living with a partner, regardless of sexuality or gender.
“You can have any employment status, live in rented or your own accommodation, and it doesn’t matter if you have your own children or pets. You just need to be 21 or over, have a spare bedroom and be in good health to meet the needs of the child.”
Information on how to get involved in fostering will be included in the matchday programme, which can be purchased at the stadium before the game.
To find out more about fostering in Swindon, people can visit www.swindon.gov.uk/fostering. Alternatively, they can call 07917 503447 or email [email protected]
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