This month marks five years since the launch of Foster Wales. In July 2021, Foster Wales was launched with the aim to improve what matters most – children’s lives.
Not only are we celebrating five years of improving children’s lives in local authority care, but we are also celebrating four years of our working relationship with Foster Wales at Cowshed.
Over the last few years of delivering Foster Wales communications, we have raised awareness of the incredible work that foster carers do, communicated changes to the service, empowered care leavers to share their story, and encouraged new foster carers to come forward.
Every team in Cowshed works with Foster Wales. Spearheaded by our award-winning campaigns team we work collaboratively through:
- Gathering insights and research to inform our communications approach
- Creating valuable press releases and media moments to secure high-quality press coverage
- Designing creative assets to be used across multiple digital platforms
- Producing engaging visual content for social media, TV and paid advertising
At Cowshed, we measure success not by creative outputs alone, but by the positive change our campaigns create for the organisations and communities we support.
“I just want to say thank you for the way you handled my story. I just re-read it with tears in my eyes. I am so grateful and I really believe it will make a difference.” – care leaver.
From video production and national PR to social media, paid campaigns and out-of-home advertising, we’ve worked together to deliver real impact, including:
- Over 500 pieces of media coverage.
- Increased fostering enquiries by 30% with 704 new foster carers
- Helped ensure 84% of children stay in their local communities.
- Multiple award-winning campaigns, including best CIPR’s Public Sector Campaign for ‘Bring something to the table’ as well as PRCA’s best Low Budget Campaign for ‘These are our voices’ in 2024
Vicki Spencer-Francis, CEO and Founder of Cowshed, said: “All our clients are special to us, but knowing we are contributing to improving the lives of cared-for children in Wales makes working with Foster Wales all that more important.
“The best campaigns come from strong relationships built on trust, and that is something we have developed in mass with Foster Wales. Here’s to many more years of collaboration.”
We can’t wait to share our exciting plans around increasing awareness of short break foster care, partnering with sporting organisations, and championing current foster carers.
We look forward to supporting Foster Wales as the framework for foster care in Wales changes to not for profit.
