We are absolutely delighted to announce that foster carers Becky & Pete Walsh from Foster Wales Bridgend have won the Jon and Kathy Broad Special Recognition Award at The Fostering Excellence Awards annual ceremony. The Jon and Kathy Broad Special Recognition award is named after foster carers and is awarded to those who specialise in fostering children and young people with additional / complex needs.
Having fostered since 2006, Becky & Pete are experienced foster carers who take every challenge in their stride. Foster Wales Bridgend is extremely lucky to have the couple in the team. As with other foster carers, they are always committed and dedicated to the children they care for.
What are the fostering excellence awards?
The Fostering Excellence Awards are run by The Fostering Network and highlights some of the amazing foster carers, young people, birth children of carers, social workers, and wider fostering community. They are the UK’s most prestigious fostering accolade.
There are several different categories and people are nominated early on in the year, with the awards ceremony held annually in November.
It’s an opportunity to celebrate our wonderful fostering community, and give recognition to those that consistently go above and beyond.
Fostering Excellence Awards – Birmingham Nov ’22
Foster Wales Bridgend winners!
After the announcement of the couple winning the award, we spoke to Becky and she shared:
“We are extremely humbled to have even been nominated for an award, let alone win one. We don’t see ourselves as anything different to any other parent or carer out there, we love all our children dearly and strive to do our best by them all.
We are very aware that due to nature of the needs we care for and the level of medical complexities that we deal with, it requires a lot of plates to be balanced at once and that can get exhausting at times… but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Every day there’s an achievement, a glimmer of hope for a new milestone, a smile that melts you or a determined young person that won’t give up and that alone gives us the strength to keep doing what we do.
We’ve been blessed with a very supportive family network and professionals that are there every step of the way with us.
We’d like to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to our children who have sacrificed so much themselves, they never complain about missing out on their own experiences when their family is separated due to hospital stays and who often have to adapt with little to no notice when circumstances change at the drop of a hat. We are so proud of how caring, thoughtful and inclusive you all are and we wouldn’t be able to give the level of care we do, without you.
Thank you.”
Bernadette Guy is Becky and Pete’s supervising social worker at Foster Wales Bridgend. It was Bernadette that nominated the couple, and said:
“They are exceptional foster carers who always remain focused on what is best for the children they look after. The couple are currently caring for a child with complex health needs, which often involves hospital appointments up to 100 miles away from home. Becky and Pete take this in their stride and consistently go above and beyond to meet the child’s needs.
On top of this, Becky also takes time to support other carers and is very well respected in her service. What makes them stand out is their can-do attitude and that they celebrate every achievement.”
Could you foster?
We’re truly thankful for people like Becky & Pete. Thankful for all our foster carers in Bridgend. Although they would never admit to being anything special, they all do a phenomenal job in providing safety and stability for our children, babies and young people.
We’re always in need of more foster carers in Bridgend, people to provide safe and loving homes. Every single child in our care is different, therefore we need people from all walks of life, all backgrounds. We encourage you to get in touch for a chat, even just to ask any questions you may have.
Whether you think you could provide care long-term, short-term, or even just for short breaks, we’d love to hear from you.
01443 425007
[email protected]
If you live in Wales, visit the Foster Wales website where you can find all the information and contact your local authority service.
