A council desperate to find loving homes for more than 300 children in their care, have teamed up with football stars in a bid to recruit foster carers.
Tottenham Hotspur players, Harry Kane, Michel Vorm and Kevin Wimmer, joined forces with current foster carers to mark the start of a campaign to promote fostering in Brent.
Andres Crespo and Dennis Fazaldin, who have both been fostering in Brent for a number of years, brushed up their footballing skills with the Spurs players, who will play their home games at Wembley Stadium next season.
Andres said: "It may sound a bit strange to some but I think managing a good foster home is a bit like managing a football team.
"Teamwork, dedication and supporting one another, through the good times and the difficult times, is the only way we can achieve all our goals.
"It was great meeting the players and good to have foster carers being recognised for the work that we do."
Foster Care Fortnight, which runs until May 21, highlights the role fostering plays in transforming the lives of children and young people in care and encourages more people to be foster carers.
England striker Kane, the leading scorer for Spurs this season, said: "We are proud to be supporting Foster Care Fortnight 2017 in Brent.
"We recognise the huge impact foster carers have in helping children and young people thrive through difficult circumstances.
"At Spurs, we support a number of initiatives for young people across London and believe that it is important to provide guidance and nurture talent so that a young person, whatever their background, can achieve their aspirations."
Foster care around west London
In Brent, there are more than a staggering 300 children who need fostering this year, but there are not enough households who can care for them.
Particular need to foster 'teenagers and siblings'
Onder Beter, head of permanency and looked after children at Brent Council, said: "We would like to thank Tottenham Hotspur for supporting our campaign this year.
"It's really important to recognise the role foster carers play in our communities. They are ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
"There are no special qualifications needed to be a foster carer but we do need people who have the space in their homes and the skills or experience of looking after children.
"We particularly need more foster families for teenagers and siblings.
"If you can offer a caring, understanding home for a child, we can offer you an outstanding package of support including training, development and financial assistance. Please get in touch to start the conversation."
Brent's Fostering team will be hosting pop up stalls across the borough to encourage more people to find out what fostering is all about:
- Wembley High Street on Wednesday May 10, 10am - 5pm
- Kilburn High Street on Wednesday May 17, 10am - 5pm
For information about fostering in Brent, or to register for the events, call 020 8937 4538, email fostering@brent.gov.uk or visit their website.
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