Fostering Excellence Awards 2018 - East Riding of Yorkshire Council staff win national award
Thu 25th October 2018
Members of East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s fostering service have won a national award for their work in promoting and supporting fostering.
The council won the prestigious Fostering Community Supporter Award at the Fostering Network’s Fostering Excellence Awards 2018.
The award was presented to Lyndsay Spencer, marketing officer for fostering and adoption, and Caroline Todd, senior social worker, at a ceremony at the Drapers’ Hall in London.
For the last three years, the council has hosted foster walks to raise money for The Fostering Network and provide an opportunity for all those involved in fostering to get together at a family-friendly event. This year’s event, held at Sewerby Hall and Gardens, raised over £700 and had an impressive turnout of 130 people.
The citation for the award says: “East Riding of Yorkshire Council are incredibly proud of their foster carers and the work they do every day, and believe that bringing everyone together for a fundraising event provides a great sense of teamwork”.
Philip Jacob, fundraising manager at The Fostering Network, said: “The outstanding achievements demonstrated by East Riding of Yorkshire Council show that a shared team spirit, along with an endless supply of enthusiasm, can go a very long way. We thank the whole team for their hard work raising money to support our work.”
Lyndsay Spencer said: “We are really excited and honoured to have received the award. I love organising the foster walk – it’s a fun event that brings our amazing foster carers, families and staff together while increasing awareness of fostering in the community and raising money to support The Fostering Network.”
Councillor Julie Abraham, the council’s portfolio holder for children, young people and education, said: “Being a foster carer is a very challenging but rewarding thing to do and I am always impressed by the commitment that these exceptional people show. I hope that the awarding of this fantastic accolade in recognition of the work that our service does, demonstrates to anyone thinking about fostering that they will have all the support that they need to give a loving home to our children that are in need.”
Eoin Rush, the council’s head of children and young people, support and safeguarding, said: “The work of our fostering service and foster carers changes lives and improves the outcomes for some of our most vulnerable children and young people here in the East Riding. Children and young people themselves tell us that they feel safe, valued and very well supported by their foster carers and there can be no better confirmation of skill and commitment of our fostering community.”
