Swindon Town players will wear special t-shirts during the warm-up before Saturday’s final match of the season against Morecambe to raise awareness of the Council’s foster carer appeal.
The initiative, a collaboration between the football club and Swindon Borough Council’s fostering team, aims to encourage more people to consider becoming foster carers and provide a loving home for children who have no-one to care for them.
Currently, over 300 children and young people in Swindon are in the care of the Council, with around a third of them living outside the town due to a shortage of local foster carers. By wearing the ‘Foster with Swindon’ t-shirts, the players hope to inspire fans to take the first step towards becoming a foster carer.
The idea was proposed by Hayley, a foster carer with the Council, who wanted to celebrate the existing foster carer community and encourage others to join the team. Marieanna MacPherson, Fostering Recruitment and Retention Officer at the Council, praised Hayley’s initiative, saying: “Fostering can be a truly life-changing experience, not just for the children and young people involved, but for the carers themselves. We’re grateful to Hayley and the football club for their support in spreading the word.”
If you’re interested in learning more about fostering in Swindon, information will be available in the matchday programme, or you can visit the Council’s website at www.swindon.gov.uk/fostering. Alternatively, you can call 07917 503447 or email fosteringrecruitment@swindon.gov.uk to take the first step towards making a difference in a child’s life.
