‘Any Of Us’ can be foster carers if we have the capacity to care is the message of a powerful new fostering film.
‘Any Of Us’, launching today, is the sixth film produced by a growing partnership of councils and children’s trusts to promote local authority fostering. The ‘Any Of Us’ project is the largest public sector fostering film collaboration yet, with over 80 participants from Northumberland to Brighton and Liverpool to Kent.
‘Any Of Us’ looks at three very different people who all show some of the attributes needed to be a foster carer in incidents from their daily lives – Ayesha going to the aid of a pedestrian after a minor road accident, Neil calming down an aggressive situation in a snooker club, and Marsha identifying a young person showing signs of distress and intervening with them at school. Different individuals in very different scenarios, but each in their own way showing the caring instinct that is fundamental to being a foster carer.
The film develops so that it becomes clear that one of these three everyday people will become the foster carer to Chloe. But which one of the three will be the one to make the difference? The main character’s stories are all interwoven with Chloe’s, as we see her journey into fostering.
As of today, there are 755 looked after children in the city who Hull City Council are responsible for. But there are just 169 foster carers – that is a lot of children and not a lot of families available to foster them.
Councillor Linda Tock, portfolio holder for Children’s Services said: “‘Any Of Us’ is a film that highlights the fact that anyone who cares has the potential to become a foster carer.
“We know so many in Hull do care and we need those people to step forward and become foster carers.
“Please consider whether you can offer a home to our most vulnerable children and young people. Fostering gives children a chance to thrive and become the best person they can be.”
The film has been produced by Reel TwentyFive and project managed by CAN Digital/Rachel Brown. Project Director, Rachel Brown explains the thinking behind the film: “Whilst there is always a core message about the difference fostering makes within our films, ‘Any Of Us’ has been more ambitious in telling three different stories from diverse foster carers, based around them sharing their experiences with people considering fostering.
“We hope that this will mean that the film and its messaging will appeal to as wider audience as possible and encourage people to foster for their local authority.
“Fostering directly with your council or children’s trust means that you can support your local community by working a with a fostering service that is dedicated to supporting local children and young people who need a nurturing, safe fostering home.”
The national launch of ‘Any Of Us’ will be held at the Everyman cinema in Birmingham today (Tuesday 26 September).
‘Any Of Us’ is the latest in a series of film collaborations that started in 2017 with ‘Giants’, which was supported by a small number local authorities in the midlands and has now grown to a national project across England, reflecting the need to recruit more foster carers.
Watch the film below.
To find out more about fostering in Hull, please visit www.hullfostering.co.uk.
