Member Article

Virtual partnership aims to help find big-hearted carers

A team effort in Newcastle is set to help recruit 50 foster parents to care for children and young people who are unable to live at home.

Newcastle-based film and digital media company Mere Mortals produced Newcastle City Council’s first TV advert for foster carers, the ‘Tale of Tom Thumbprint’ which launched on Tyne Tees. The advert was timed to coincide with a new package of benefits for foster carers launched by the council.

Paul Chadwick, Newcastle City Council’s Looked after Children’s Manager, said: “Fostering a child is one of most worthwhile things you can ever do and we wanted an ad that got that message across. It was a lot to ask in a 30 second ad but Mere Mortals did a wonderful job and we’re really pleased with the response we’ve had so far.”

The second element of the fostering drive saw Mere Mortals’ associate company SBsquared, a web design and development firm, develop an interactive website on behalf of an independent voluntary organisation Fostering Under Newcastle (FUN), which is supported by Newcastle City Council’s Children’s Services section.

FUN’s first website at www.fosteringundernewcastle.co.uk is a source of information and support for new and experienced fosterers, forming a point of contact to help potential fosterers get more information.

Sandra Ewens, chairperson of FUN said: “Fostering is a very worthwhile activity which benefits both the child and the fosterer and brings a lot of satisfaction, but it can also be a difficult job at times. As an organisation run for members and by members, the support and guidance we provide is now backed up by a website that provides not just information and allows people to share knowledge and experience, but also acts as an online extended source of support, available 24 hours a day.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .