Grimsby Town Football Club and North East Lincolnshire Council are celebrating two years since jointly launching the North East Lincolnshire Foster Friendly Business initiative, with almost 200 organisations across the area now signed up to support local fostering families.

The scheme, led by the councils fostering team, encourages businesses large and small to make a meaningful commitment to fostering, whether through flexible working practices, discounts, practical support or helping to raise awareness of the need for more foster carers.

As the very first business to sign up two years ago, Grimsby Town Football Club set the standard for what it means to be a truly foster friendly organisation, demonstrating the power of community and corporate parents working together to achieve the best for children in the care of the council.

As one of the area’s biggest community and corporate partners, the club has consistently gone above and beyond in its support of foster families and care experienced young people. Over the past two years, Grimsby Town has provided tickets to matches for foster families and young people, offered discounted access to its corporate spaces, and importantly, used its platform to champion fostering through advertising inside the stadium and in matchday programmes.

It has made a real difference to fostering in North East Lincolnshire with a substantial increase in the number of people stepping forward to become foster carers, the carers themselves and care experienced people saying about how it helps them feel valued members of the community and giving our children more opportunity to live with local families.

In recognition of the two-year milestone, the Mariners will don orange warm-up t-shirts on Saturday to highlight the North East Lincolnshire Fostering Friendly campaign.

This visible and vocal support has helped keep fostering firmly in the spotlight and encouraged many other businesses across North East Lincolnshire to get involved.

Ann-Marie Matson, Director of Children’s Services, said:

“The success of our Foster Friendly business initiative shows just how powerful our community can be when it comes together around our children and young people.

“Grimsby Town Football Club led the way from day one, and their ongoing commitment has been incredible. By flying the flag for fostering so proudly, they’ve helped raise awareness, break down barriers and show what true corporate parenting looks like in action.

“Over 200 businesses have now joined the scheme, and every single one is helping to create a more understanding, supportive environment for foster carers and the children they care for.

At such an important time for the club, it means even more that they are so behind this important campaign. Our families will be cheering for them on Saturday, and hopefully all the way to Wembley!”

Polly Bancroft, Chief Executive of Grimsby Town Football Club, said:

“It’s something we’re incredibly proud of as a football club. From the very beginning, we wanted to use our platform to support fostering in a meaningful way and help make a difference within our community.

“Our football club sits at the heart of our community, and we have a responsibility to use that influence positively. Over the past two years, it’s been inspiring to see the impact this initiative has had, not just in raising awareness, but in helping foster families and young people feel valued, included and supported.

“To see close to 200 organisations now signed up is fantastic, and it shows what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared purpose. We’re proud to have played our part in that journey and will continue to support the initiative however we can.”

Fostering continues to need more local people to step forward to foster, and the Foster Friendly initiative plays a vital role in building awareness, understanding and reassurance across workplaces and communities.

Businesses that sign up are not only supporting their own staff who foster but are also sending a clear message that fostering is everyone’s business.

The council is encouraging more organisations to join the growing network of Foster Friendly businesses and be part of a scheme that is making a real difference to the lives of children and young people across North East Lincolnshire.

To find out more about fostering or becoming a Foster Friendly business, click here.

UTM