A TEAM of staff and foster carers from Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) will be tackling a charity fun run to encourage more people to give a loving home to a child or young person.

The team of runners will be taking part in the Wokingham 5km and 10km at Dinton Pastures on Sunday, March 25, to raise awareness of the need for more foster families in the borough.

Joining the team will be the council's executive member for children’s services, Cllr Mark Ashwell, while a team of foster carers will be manning an information stand at the event.

Cllr Ashwell said: "We urgently need more foster carers in our borough, and they can be as diverse as the children who need them. The rewards are great. Foster carers give these children and young people a positive future, a nurturing hand to help them reach their potential. We, in turn, support our foster carers with training and remuneration.”

Foster carers can be any age, culture, background or sexual orientation, and can be homeowners or tenants. If you have a spare room and time for a child, you could foster.

WBC offers a remuneration package, training and one-to-one and out-of-hours support for all foster carers. Fees increase with experience, often resulting in the equivalent of a reasonable salary which could provide a complete change of career. For example, an experienced foster carer at Level 2, who cares for two children all year, could earn more than £25,000 p.a. excluding allowances for the child.

For more information visit http://fostering.wokingham.gov.uk/ or call 0118 974 6204.