‘Any Of Us’ launched across the country this week. It 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, and Cheshire’s pioneering foster carer recruitment service – Foster4 – is proud to be taking part.

Cllr Sarah Hall, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “First and foremost, this project is about giving our fostering service a high-quality film that highlights the fact that anyone who cares has the potential to become a foster carer. 

“All councils, including Warrington, want to recruit foster carers from their own local area, so it makes great sense to collaborate on a campaign that communicates a universal message – we all need more people to step forward to become foster carers.

“Becoming a foster carer for your local council is one of the most rewarding things you can do, and ‘Any Of Us’ shows that we all have the potential to change a child’s future for the better. I would like to encourage everyone to watch the film and consider if you can offer a home to our most vulnerable, local children and young people.” 

‘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 at school. Different individuals in very different scenarios, but each showing in their own way the caring instinct that is fundamental to being a foster carer.

The film develops so that it becomes clear that one of these three people 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 interlinked with Chloe’s, as we see her journey into fostering.

The film has been produced by ReelTwentyFive and project managed by CAN Digital. Project Director, Rachel Brown, said: “While 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 appeals to as wide an audience as possible and encourage people to foster for their local council.

“Fostering directly with the council means that you can support your local community by working with a fostering service that is dedicated to supporting local children and young people who need a nurturing, safe foster home.”

Sarah Thomas, chief executive of the Fostering Network, said: “The Fostering Network has supported this project since the first collaborative film ‘Giants’ in 2017. It’s fantastic to see fostering services work together to amplify their message to recruit much-needed foster carers. There’s currently a shortage of 6,000 fostering households in England, so films like this have a vital role to play in encouraging more people to become foster carers. 

“A lot of people praised the John Lewis fostering advert at Christmas time as being poignant and socially responsible. ‘Any Of Us’ is right up there alongside it. Now it’s our job to have it seen as widely as possible, so more people can take the first step and become the foster carers we need, right across the country.”