Tom’s race with new foster carers

The Run’, the seventh film in the fostering awareness series by award-winning producers ReelTwentyFive, premiered this week at Birmingham’s Everyman cinema.

What started as a small local project by CAN Digital in the Midlands is now a major nationwide campaign involving Cheshire East Council and over 90 local authority fostering services. ‘The Run’ is set to be the most ambitious jointly funded fostering film project yet.  
 
The film focuses on Tom, an 11-year-old boy, contrasting his need to run - away from danger, a chaotic home life, to get to school in time for breakfast club because he’s hungry - with running as a sport. 

Despite the disadvantages Tom faces before being fostered – not even having PE kit for school – he’s good at running and the film climaxes with Tom taking part in an athletics tournament, running in a stadium, with the support of his new foster family.   

It’s Tom’s chance to shine. Can Tom win his race? On the track and in his life?   

That message is at the core of the film project.  Local authority fostering services are under pressure like never before as more children need a safe, stable home. This is combined with increased competition from independent fostering agencies to recruit foster carers. 

The film’s project director Rachel Brown explains:

“This whole project grew out of the constant struggle to recruit foster carers, when you have limited resources.  By working as a group – which has grown from 12 to over 90 councils across the country – we’ve found a way to raise our voice and shout. 

“I say shout quite deliberately - because this is a national emergency.  Make no mistake, children’s futures depend on having homes to give them a supportive, nurturing upbringing. 

“‘The Run’ won’t change things on its own, but we hope that everyone who sees it, will at least pause for thought, hopefully stepping forward to help our most vulnerable children and young people. 

Councillor Laura Crane, chair of Cheshire East Council’s children and families committee, said:

“The message of this project is very simple, but so important – we need foster carers, and we need people to foster across our borough.  

“This sentiment applies across the country, which is why this project has grown into a national campaign. ‘The Run’ is a brilliant, emotional film none of us could have produced on our own, which is why this partnership is so important. 

“We have an engaging, high-quality film – which is great for all of us, but the message is loud and clear; there’s an urgent need for more foster carers to step forward across the country. We need good people to be a foster carer for Cheshire East Council and make a real difference.” 

To find out more about fostering, visit: 

www.foster4.co.uk/cheshire-east 

call:

03456 460 098

...or email: 

Enquiry@foster4.co.uk. 

Residents in Cheshire East interested in fostering are also invited to come along to any one of the fostering roadshow events taking place throughout October. Here they will have an opportunity to meet with the friendly Foster4 team and learn more about fostering for their Local Authority.

The event in Cheshire East will be held from 10am-5pm on Sunday 25 October at Macclesfield Leisure Centre, SK10 4AF. 

You can watch the fostering film here...