Find out if you could be a foster carer
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An event close to many NFA foster carers’ hearts, Children in Need changes the lives of young people throughout the UK.
From after school clubs in Scotland for children with special needs to hearing dogs for deaf children in London and further afield, your help goes a long, long way.
The main event on TV is this Friday 17th November, and there are plenty of ways for you and your foster family to lend a hand both before that date and after.
One of this year’s top events is the Countryfile Ramble, lasting until December. The aim is to collectively walk the distance of the UK and get sponsored for every mile.
It’s incredibly easy to get involved. Simply sign up online, choose somewhere local to walk to with your foster family, and invite friends to donate. Helpful and healthy at the same time.
A fundraising classic that always does well, the great British bake is fun for all your family. Get creative in the kitchen and whip up cakes and treats to sell at a school event, local fair or just to friends.
Use some of your favourite Cooks & Kids recipes and set the menu together. You could even host a delicious meal and get sponsored for every course.
Love to go swimming with your foster family? Set a target number of lengths for you all to reach together. Scared of heights? Go all-out and do a sponsored bungee jump.
Whether you’re doing something together or representing the family alone, get everyone involved with their own unique jobs. If your fundraiser focuses on one child’s talent, put another child in charge of posters or decorations so they don’t feel left out.
Get the kids excited by bringing your fundraising to the 21st Century. You could all get involved in a computer game marathon, live-streaming the event online. Or you could host a cinema day with friends and family paying for entry.
If you’re up for a real challenge, see if you can all go without the internet for a day or cut out gadgets from 5pm every day for a week. Watch videos here for more tech-centric ideas.
You can raise funds in all sorts of imaginative ways and channel almost any of your foster family’s passions. Head to the BBC Children in Need website for inspiration and advice to get started, and fundraising tools for when you’ve found your idea.
No time for a fundraiser? No problem. Take to social media and let your friends know why Children in Need is important.
Share your own true stories to bring the issues to life for people you know, and encourage your foster kids to do the same if they’re comfortable. If it comes from you, friends and family are more likely to understand and get involved themselves.