NEWS
Raising Awareness
On a cold Saturday morning in January, Alpha Plus Fostering teamed up with local youth football team, Stockport Eagles FC, to hold a promotional event in the Asda Superstore in Stockport.
Players, parents and staff from Stockport Eagles spent the day helping customers to pack their shopping. Together with the Alpha Plus recruitment team, shoppers were given information on the work carried out by both Alpha Plus and Stockport Eagles. The event was a resounding success, allowing Alpha Plus to raise awareness of the shortage of Foster Carers acrossthe Stockport area and raising £374 for the boys at Stockport Eagles.
"I would like to offer a huge thanks to Asda for allowing us to hold this event and a special thank you to the boys of SEFC, who were praised by shoppers for their help and for the polite and courteous manner in which they conducted themselves throughout the day; they should be very proud of themselves".
Natalie Beswick, Carer Recruitment Officer
Reward Lines Christmas Promotion
Would you to win yourself a home entertainment system?
Some of our very best carers have been introduced to us by our existing Foster Carers and as an additional thank you we have created a spectacular winter promotion.
For every potential carer that you introduce to us between 1st December 2011 – 31st January 2012, your name will be entered into a prize draw. If that introduction results in a successful IV and progresses to a formal assessment you will gain a further two entries into the draw.
On 1st February 2012 the draw will be made, where one lucky winner will win a home entertainment package including a 40inch LED 3D television complete with 3D glasses together with a Sony Playstation 3.
So who do you know that would make a fantastic carer?
To make an introduction or if you have any queries please feel free to call me on 0753 011 3170 or email me at natalie@alphaplusfostering.co.uk
Many Thanks and good luck
Natalie Beswick
Carer Recruitment Officer
**This promotion will not affect the normal Rewardlines points**
Terms and Conditions are available here
ALPHA PLUS SPONSORS LOCAL FOOTBALL TEAMS
Alpha Plus have recently teamed up with two local football clubs and become their kit sponsors; Chadderton Park Under 15’s and Stockport Eagles Under 11’s.
Both Clubs provide local children with a safe and enjoyable environment where they can keep healthy, participate as part of a team and achieve.
Chadderton Park are an established North Manchester based club where all children are given the opportunity to be part of a team no matter of their age, gender or ability. Not only do they provide training but they offer children the chance to gain FA approved coaching qualifications, thus adding to their self esteem and confidence
Stockport Eagles are an up and coming club in the South Manchester area. They have achieved FA Charter Standard with teams from under 7's to under 13's. They aim to motivate and develop players’ skills, touch and game intelligence.
Both Teams set a great example of giving back to the community and improving outcomes for local children; Alpha Plus are very proud to sponsor them and support the work that they do.
Awards & recognition Evening
Alpha Plus Fostering held a Foster Carer and Young Person's awards evening at Stockport County Football Club. The evening was a roaring success and everybody enjoyed it immensely. As an agency; we think it is very important to recognise and respond to Foster Carers and Young People's achievements.
We are appreciative of all the work our Foster Carers do and we are proud of all the young people cared for at Alpha Plus. We believe each and every one of them is a winner in their own right.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank Stockport County Football Club for organising a wonderful evening along with the fantastic food - Thankyou!!
Christine Clynch
Registered Manager
Alpha Plus run 5K
Alpha Plus Fostering staff and carers took part in a 5 k run organised by the Cooperative Society on Sunday 22nd May 2011. This event took place in the East Manchester community and is part of the co operatives just giving campaign which leaves a legacy for the communities where the race took place. Alpha Plus entered the race as part of the 10,000 steps campaign currently being run by NFA and NFAP to raise awareness of the 10,000 shortage of foster carers across the countries. All participants completed the race.
ALPHA PLUS FOSTER CARER NAMED LORRAINE’S MUM OF THE YEAR
Overwhelming. That was how foster carer Jane Insje described her emotions after being named “Mum of the Year” on ITV’s Lorraine programme on Friday morning.
Forty three year old Jane and her family opened the door of their North West home to be met by presenter Craig Doyle presenting her with a bunch of flowers and naming her “Mum of the Year” as voted for by viewers. Jane had beaten thousands of other nominations to take the title and it was all thanks to her son Thomas.
Thomas, aged 14, had nominated his mother for all the work she had done in fostering children. Jane, who is a carer with Alpha Plus, in Oldham, has cared for more than 130 children over a period of sixteen years.
Jane said: “When Thomas submitted my name to the programme via email, he said I bring ‘hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless’. It brought tears to my eyes.
“I was amazed to get through to the final three as the week went on and then to be named the winner on Friday was just incredible”.
As part of the prize, Jane and her fire fighter husband Andrew have won a holiday abroad, although with Andrew taking part in the fire fighter games in New York she may have trouble fitting it in.
Children are at the heart of everything Jane does, including their involvement in taking the dog for a walk.
“Being a foster carer gives you the best feeling in the world. I have always enjoyed fostering,” said Jane. “When Thomas was little we had older children. Now that Thomas is a teenager we have younger children and it all works out very well. I hope to be able to do for many more years to come”
Iain Anderson, Chief Executive of Alpha plus Fostering said “I am delighted and proud for Jane; it is a well deserved win. I was with her and Andrew a few weeks ago at a Carer consultation meeting and was very impressed with her enthusiasm and dedication to really make a difference to the children and young people placed with her. Alpha Plus Fostering has an ‘Outstanding’ rating from Ofsted and it is the dedication and work of carers like Jane and Andrew that help achieve this acknowledgement of excellence”
Ofsted
Alpha Plus Fostering is delighted to report that after a week long inspection we have retained our "outstanding" Ofsted rating. Alpha Plus manager Christine Clynch, team leader Helen Farrington and the team would like to thank all our carers for their support and kind comments during the inspection. At Alpha we are committed to providing high quality foster placements and Ofsteds rating clearly evidences that our carers and staff team always keep in mind that children are at the heart of everything we do.
