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Spare to Share. Will you join us?

Thursday 03 October 2024

Do you have a spare bedroom and, if so, how are you using it?

Many of us use our spare room to put up guests from time to time, to store stuff, or maybe as a dressing room or home office. But, how would it feel to use it to change a child’s life?

Spare to Share… Will you join us?

National Fostering Group is spearheading a campaign to encourage people to consider using their spare bedroom to give a foster child a home.

And there’s never been a more urgent need than right now. The number of extra foster carers needed has risen to 12,500 – up 14% on just a year ago. Foster children need caring people with space in their hearts and their homes. Someone to provide a safe, warm and loving environment that could help a child to thrive after a difficult start in life.

Could that be you?

Fostering changes lives

We’ve called our campaign Spare to Share and we’re inviting everyone with a spare bedroom – currently around 26 million across the UK – to consider sharing it with a foster child in need. Just imagine what a difference it would make if even a small proportion of these households came forward now to begin the application process as foster carers. Fostering changes lives – both for the foster children and the foster carers – so that’s a lot of lives that could be transformed.

Gemma and Joan Collins… our cheerleaders!

We’re super thrilled to have reality TV star, Gemma Collins and her mum, Joan backing our campaign. Fostering is a subject close to their hearts and they are keen to do whatever they can to help.

Gemma, 43, from Romford in Essex rose to fame as one of the standout stars of the reality TV show The Only Way Is Essex. Loved for her bubbly personality and down-to-earth approach, she quickly became one of the fans’ favourites. She went on to appear in other reality TV shows such as ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’ and ‘Dancing on Ice’, as well as launching her own clothing collection. Gemma has often spoken candidly about her struggles with body image, mental health and fertility. She’s shared her experiences of IVF and her interest in fostering.

In part, this was inspired by mum, Joan Collins who was placed into foster care after being left at a hospital as a newborn in 1946. Joan’s early life was marked by adversity. She was cared for by a loving foster mother until the age of seven when her foster mum tragically died. The foster mother’s daughter stepped in to care for the little girl, but such challenging experiences early in life understandably led to ongoing struggles for Joan. She describes grappling with feelings of rejection and the many unanswered questions about her biological family. It was only recently that Joan discovered that her birth mum had been struggling with mental health issues and it was this that led to her decision to place Joan in care. Knowing this has helped Joan to begin coming to terms with difficult feelings about her childhood.

These deeply personal experiences inspired Joan to want to get involved with Spare to Share. She told us:

“Growing up in foster care, I know just how much a loving and stable home can mean to a child. I’m so grateful to my foster parents for everything they did for me – they truly made a difference in my life and gave me the confidence to make my own way in the world. If you’re kind, patient and have space in your home, I’d really encourage you to consider fostering. You never know how much impact you could have on a young person’s life, just like my foster parents did for me.”

Joan Collins with her daughter Gemma Collins partnering with National Fostering Group

Daughter, Gemma Collins added:

“My mum was fostered and I’m so proud of her sharing her story to help encourage others to foster. It’s such an amazing thing to do and something I’ve thought about doing in the future. If you’d like to find out more about fostering, contact National Fostering Group.”

Could you share your heart and home with a foster child? Join our Spare to Share campaign and help us find loving homes for the growing numbers of children coming into care. Click here to enquire.

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