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Talented youngsters shine at Fostering’s Got Talent

Eight talented young people took to the stage on Wednesday night to showcase their skills at a special celebration for Nottinghamshire’s foster children and fostering families.

Fostering's Got Talent, organised by Nottinghamshire County Council, saw the local fostering community come together at West Notts College’s Create Theatre in Mansfield to celebrate the young people’s talents as well as to meet, network and socialise with fellow foster caring families.

The annual talent contest is one of the many events organised by the council’s fostering team throughout the year to bring together foster carers and their families.

This year’s event showcased skills from gymnastics to poetry, singing and music.

The winner was selected by audience votes. The 9-year-old dazzled the judges by singing an amazing rendition of Mamma Mia.

The winning child’s foster carer said, “Thank you so much for a wonderful evening! The girls loved it - as did we. They were both very proud of themselves and A said she thought it might be the best night of her life!”

They have won two tickets to the live semi-final of popular ITV show Britain’s Got Talent in London, courtesy of Fremantle and Thames TV, plus £100 towards travel expenses contributed by the council’s Foster Liaison and Advisory Group (FLAG).

Runners up received Love2Shop vouchers and certificates for their participation.

The event also featured a performance by last year’s winner, whose winning act involved wowing the audience in costume as Mary Poppins with a performance of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Along with their family, they attended the semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent live in London in 2022.

Councillor Tracey Taylor, and Councillor Sinead Anderson Cabinet Member and Deputy Cabinet Member for Children and Families, attended the event to show their support for the fostering community in Nottinghamshire.

Cllr Taylor praised the young people who took part, as well as paying tribute to the tireless work of the county’s foster carers.

She said: “It was wonderful to see so many young people displaying their amazing talents in front of an audience at last night’s event, and they can all be really proud of putting on such a fantastic show.

“Foster carers throughout the county play a very important role in supporting some of our most vulnerable young people.

“Fostering’s Got Talent is one of many events run throughout the year where our foster families can connect and socialise. Our foster carers always tell us how important the support they receive from their peers is, and our teams work hard to ensure that foster carers have lots of opportunities to meet with each other and discuss their experiences.

“When you foster with us, we provide comprehensive training, lots of great benefits and recently increased allowances to support our foster carers in the important work they do.

“The fostering community in Nottinghamshire really is something special. If you think fostering might be right for you, get in touch with our friendly recruitment team to learn more.”

Anyone interested in fostering can get in touch with the Fostering Recruitment Team at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/foster, by calling 0115 804 4440 or emailing fostering@nottscc.gov.uk.