Fostival is our annual summer event that we hold for all children and young people in care in Leicestershire, along with their entire fostering families (including birth children).
The event gives the fostering team a chance to recognise our wider fostering community, spend quality time together and celebrate progress and achievements.
Set up begins
It was an early-morning start for our staff as they began preparing for the big day. Food needed to be prepared, table and chairs needed to be put out and the crafting stations needed to be set up.
A warm welcome to Fostival 2025!
The team welcomed our foster carers, our looked-after children and young people, extended family members and birth children - let the fun commence!
Snacks-galore
Teamwork makes the dream work! Everyone pitched in to prepare an impressive food spread for our guests. Homemade cakes made by our lovely team members Jade, Katie, Heather, Emily, Karen and Marie were the star of the show!
Craft time
With help from our very dear friends at Cosby Yarn Bomb, the crafting stations proved to be a hit. Over the day, guests we invited to contribute to a communal weaving project titled ‘Stronger Together, Weaving Connections’.
Participants each selected a piece of yarn that represented them to weave into the larger piece, which symbolises Leicestershire’s fostering community.
We are all different and unique, with different stories – but are all connected through this wonderful, strong community.
Something for everyone!
Our face painters provided some afternoon fun for all.
Burning off their energy
We channelled our best school sports day vibes with some relay races and sprints.
A VIP visit
A visit from the ice cream man added to the excitement of the afternoon! My Biscoff knickerbocker glory went down a treat.
Campfire sing-along
A campfire sing-along was the perfect finish to the perfect day. Jason, a member of our Dedicated Placement Support Team, built us a fire that we all sat around as the sun went down.
Another Fostival done and dusted
After months of planning and investing our time and effort, it proved to be all worth it – our foster carers are the best in the world, and we love nothing more than celebrating them.
Now to pack it all away, and start thinking about next year…
Support at Leicestershire County Council
Fostival is just one of the many ways the county council continually supports our foster carers. To find out more about the services and support we offer, please visit https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/education-and-children/fostering/why-foster-with-us