Saints x Fostering Southampton: working together for brighter futures
We’re thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Southampton City Council's fostering service, Fostering Southampton, aimed at creating a brighter future for children and young people in the community.
The initiative, which launches during Southampton City Council’s Love Our Children week, focuses on recruiting foster carers from diverse backgrounds and cultures who’ll receive comprehensive training and expert support to provide a nurturing environment for children in need.
Currently, there are 510 children in care in Southampton, with just over half having to be placed outside of the city due to a lack of fostering placements. Working with Fostering Southampton, we want to give those children opportunities to stay in the city and remain connected to friends, families and their existing schools.
We’ll work with Fostering Southampton over the course of the 2023/24 season to support both existing and new foster carers and their families, offering free tickets to games, merchandise and exclusive opportunities to create special memories.
Foster carers play a pivotal role in shaping the lives of young people and we’re proud to be working with Fostering. The initiative welcomes foster carers from various walks of life, regardless of your working arrangements, whether full-time or part-time, family background or heritage. Applicants must be aged 21 and over - all that's required is a spare bedroom and the dedication to create a safe and supportive environment for these deserving children.
As part of the campaign you may see drawings of our Men’s and Women’s First Team players dotted around the city, created by young people in care and their foster families.
As part of wider support for Love Our Children Week, we’ll be arranging a special stadium tour for young people and their foster carers. There’ll be a football match at a local school between those young people in care and staff at Fostering Southampton. Our Women’s First Team players Sophia Pharoah and Katie Wilkinson will be there to give support and cheer on from the sidelines. We’ll also be giving tickets to a group of foster carers and young people in care to come to the Men’s First Team game on 30th September as we take on Leeds United at St Mary’s.
The campaign is being backed by ex-Saints footballer Pedro 'Pele' Monteiro, who’s been fostering children with his wife Jo for almost 10 years.
Discussing the partnership and his own experience fostering, Pele said: “We've cared for over 70 foster children over the years and feel incredibly lucky to have done so. Fostering can be challenging, but the rewards are immeasurable. Our two biological children have formed close bonds with many of our foster children and fostering has taught them valuable life skills and empathy. We highly recommend fostering to anyone who has extra love to give and space in their heart and home. The training and support provided by the Southampton foster care network is exceptional and being part of this community of foster carers has been an incredible experience.”
If you’re interested in becoming a foster carer, we’d encourage you to contact Fostering Southampton – find more information on their website.
