Ben Weighill talks Dreams and aspirations
Ben Weighill, 25, is an amateur singer/songwriter from Chesterfield who is the voice behind the soundtrack to the new Dreams advert – a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time.
Dreams, the UKs leading bed specialist, has teamed up with The Fostering Network to raise money and awareness for foster care around the UK. As part of this partnership Dreams is donating its proceeds from sales of Ben’s single.
Buy it today from Amazon, Google Play or iTunes and support the work of The Fostering Network.
Attitude
Our response to Estyn's report about the educational attainment of looked after children in Wales
Dr Emily Warren, director of The Fostering Network in Wales, said: ‘We are aspirational for all children, and we want to celebrate the successes, educational or otherwise, of children who grow up living in foster care.
The waiting game
Birthday honours for foster carers
We would like to congratulate seven members of The Fostering Network who have recently received Birthday honours.
Mr John Palczynski, Mrs Wendy Palczynski, Mrs Carol Ann Smallworth, Mr Raymond Michael Smallworth and Mrs Deloris Collett all received MBEs for services to children and families. Mrs Anne Staniforth and Mr James Howard Staniforth also received a BEM for services to children and families.
You can view the full list of those who received honours on the Government’s website.
Praise for the positive impact of The Fostering Network’s Education Champions
The Fostering Network’s innovative Education Champions have recently been praised for their positive impact in an external evaluation report. The evaluation recommended that the Champion role, created as part of the London Fostering Achievement (LFA) programme, should be implemented more widely and The Fostering Network is delighted to be seeking services to partner with to develop this further and raise the educational outcomes and aspirations of looked after children.
New Ambassador for The Fostering Network
The Fostering Network is delighted to announce that Ashley-John Baptiste has become an ambassador for the charity.
Inspirational Young Campaigner Wins Fostering Award
Zoe Witherington first became involved with The Fostering Network in 2013 to support our Don’t Move Me campaign. During the campaign Zoe, between her studies, campaigned hard appearing in newspapers, on television, and on radio right across England sharing her story in the hope of creating a more positive future for other children and young people.
Creativity permeates everything we do
Dominic Stevenson, senior media officer at The Fostering Network and published poet, shares his thoughts on creativity:
I have worked at The Fostering Network for over four and a half years. In that time I’ve met countless foster carers and children, and I have laughed and cried with them as we have worked together, celebrated successes, and just had a generally wonderful time at events like the annual Foster Walk. One person that particularly sticks in my mind is a little girl who I first met at a Foster Walk in 2014, and in 2015 I was able to invite her and her foster carer to our annual awards where she got to meet the Duchess of Cambridge. Afterward she sent me a beautiful card thanking me and I have it in pride of place on my desk.