Local firm backs council’s fostering campaign

Steve Collinson, Head of UK HR at Zurich, has spoken passionately about the “amazing job” that foster carers do and has urged people who are interested in becoming foster carers to get in touch with the Council.

In May this year, Swindon Borough Council launched the first phase of a huge drive to encourage more people to sign up to become foster carers with over 150 individuals expressing an interest.

Phase two will run until December and will be focussing on working with local businesses and organisations to help encourage more people to sign up.

Commenting on the campaign, Mr Collinson said: “We’re delighted to lend our support to Swindon Borough Council’s campaign. Foster carers do an amazing job providing support and guidance to children, setting them on a positive path and opening them up to experiences they never would have had otherwise.

“At Zurich, we recognise that someone’s journey to become part of a family can take many different paths, whether it’s through fostering, adoption, step parenting, being part of a blended family or something more traditional.”

As well as Zurich, the Council is working closely with several other local businesses to help promote the campaign among their staff and partners, including Great Western Hospital who recently held an information drop-in session.

Cllr Mary Martin, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and School Attainment, said: “It’s fantastic to hear that so many local businesses, especially ones as big as Zurich, are getting behind our fostering campaign.

“Every child in Swindon deserves to be part of a loving and stable family and the aim of this recruitment drive is to ensure that this is the case. We are pleased to have the support of a number of organisations across Swindon and I am confident that we can find more foster carers to provide loving homes for children.

“Too many of our children are being looked after more than 20 miles from Swindon. We want more loving homes here where our children can live and thrive, close to friends and family. Thank you, Zurich, for helping to recruit more foster carers.”

For those interested in finding out more about fostering, the Council holds regular information sessions, with the next one being held on Friday (23 November) from 3pm to 4pm in Committee Room 6 at the Civic Offices. This is a chance to chat to the team and other foster carers about what it means to foster and you can book your space and find out more on the Council’s website: www.swindon.gov.uk/fostering.