Released on: May 12, 2010, 5:45 am
Author: Foster Care Associates
Industry: Government
Foster Care Associates (FCA), the UK’s largest independent fostering agency, will be stepping up its foster carer recruitment drive with a range of activities organised throughout the UK during this year's Foster Care Fortnight (17th-30th May 2010).
Following the path of the FCA Cycle Challenge, which sees two members of the FCA team cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats, FCA will be staging a range of activities and events to coincide with the cyclists as they stop off en route. FCA staff and foster carers will be invited to attend the events and participate in fundraising activities.
Two representatives from the FCA Western office, Chris Benjamin and Morris Gooding, will be putting their power behind the pedals to undertake the Cycle Challenge. Chris and Morris are relishing the prospects that the challenge presents in raising awareness of fostering and encouraging more people to consider becoming a foster carer.
"Cycling is something we have both been involved in for many years - primarily for long distances," commented Chris. "Land's End to John O'Groats presents a massive challenge for us, but very exciting too. We've both been working hard in preparation - in the gym and out on the road. Of course, there's an element of apprehension about the scale of this challenge, but we're also motivated by what we're looking to achieve - raising awareness of foster care and the desperate need to address the huge shortage of fostering families across the UK."
The events mark an ongoing foster carer recruitment campaign by FCA, in a bid to plug the 10,000 shortfall of foster carers across the UK. It will serve to build upon the success of the recently launched carer-recruitment focused FCA website, which will play a key role in this initiative through tracking the cyclists as they make their way up the UK and posting regular updates and reports.
"This Cycle Challenge represents a really exciting initiative for FCA," said Louise Withers, external communications manager, FCA. "The enthusiasm shown by all of the FCA team and foster carers has really shown that we're in the spirit of things. It will form part of our ongoing drive not only to recruit foster carers across the UK, but to engage with our existing pool of foster carers."
Chris and Morris will be setting off from Land's End on the morning of Saturday 15th May and expect to arrive in John O'Groats by the end of Foster Care Fortnight 2010.
About Foster Care Associates
Foster Care Associates (FCA), part of the Core Assets Group Ltd, is the UK's leading independent fostering agency, with offices operating throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Working in partnership with Local Authorities and Health Trusts throughout the UK, FCA aims to provide 'quality care in a family setting' for over 2700 foster children who are looked after by the agency's 2500 foster families.
Foster Care Associates PR Contact:
Rob Bloom
Online Copywriter
FCA Central Services
Malvern View
Saxon Business Park
Hanbury Road
Stoke Prior
Bromsgrove
B60 4AD
01527 556480
www.thefca.co.uk