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A Coventry City Council-backed short film to encourage people from all backgrounds to consider becoming a foster carer has picked up two prestigious national awards this month.

The powerful film, called “Any of Us” won the “Best Collaboration” and “Best Creative Comms” categories at the comms2point0 UnAwards, which recognises excellence in public sector communications at a ceremony held in Birmingham. 

Shortlisted in five categories in all, the film project saw more than 80 council fostering teams from across the UK come together to produce the film and share production, administration and launch costs.

Cllr Pat Seaman, Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member, Children and Young People, said: 

“This award-winning project is about attracting foster carers and giving our fostering service a high-quality film that highlights the fact that anyone who cares has the potential to become one. Every fostering recruitment team knows the challenges behind recruitment and it’s important to make an emotional connection with potential foster carers through our marketing campaigns including engaging films such as this one.

“The fact that over 80 council fostering teams worked together to produce a film that communicates a universal message of ‘we all need more people to step forward and become foster carers’ is really powerful and in such challenging financial times, the ability to pull together to save on costs is really beneficial.

“The key message remains the same, please consider if you can offer a home to our most vulnerable children and young people to really make that big difference to their lives – as the film’s title says, any of us can.”

The film was produced by ReelTwentyFive and project managed by agency CAN Digital and fostering consultant Rachel Brown, formerly of Coventry City Council’s fostering team, who submitted the entry on behalf of all councils taking part and is the originator of the local authority fostering film concept.

Praising the film, the UnAwards judging panel said: “This is exactly the kind of campaign the public sector needs right now. It combined precious resources to secure a better chance of success for everyone who collaborated – boosted by smart targeting and a beautifully shot video. It just goes to show what can be achieved through our industry working together to address common challenges.” 

In just the first month of the film being available, participating councils had 249 enquiries from potential new foster carers that can be attributed to views. Calculated from average enquiry-to-approval statistics, these enquiries could result in 21 new foster carers over the next 12 months, saving the UK’s council fostering community £394,000 on placement fees with Independent Fostering Agencies. 

About the film – “Any of Us” 

The message of the fostering film is “any of us can foster a child or young person, if you have the capacity to care.” 

“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. 

“Any of Us” is available to view on YouTube.

“Any of Us” is the fifth – and most well-supported – film in all to be produced by a growing partnership of councils and children’s trusts to promote local authority fostering. 

For people wanting to find out how they can make a difference here by Fostering With Coventry, please contact the Council’s fostering team on 024 7683 2828 or visit www.coventry.gov.uk/foster

Published: Wednesday, 13th December 2023