At Banya Family Placement Agency, we believe in doing more than just caring for our foster children – we’re committed to preparing them for a future filled with success, happiness, and confidence. Our Mentoring Programme is designed to provide the guidance and support that many other children receive naturally from their families, ensuring our young people are well-equipped for life’s challenges.
During Foster Care Fortnight 2024, our Participation Officer, Louise Graham, shared insights into the wonderful programmes we run to keep our foster children engaged, motivated, and entertained.
Watch the video interview:
Louise’s journey with us began when she was invited to join the ‘Let’s Talk’ mentoring’ team, an initiative devised by Banya to give mentoring to our young people in care. Her initial success led to a permanent involvement and there are now a whole array of ‘Lets Talk’ programmes.
With her creative background, Louise developed ‘Let’s Talk Creative’, a programme that encourages our young people to explore exciting career paths in the creative industries – areas they might not get exposed to in school.
We also have a fantastic CV writing workshop, crafted by a career guidance professional. This programme covers everything from crafting a standout CV to role-playing interviews and job hunting. We even help our young people find work experience, giving them a real taste of the professional world.
Paul Gbadeyan, Louise’s partner in the ‘Let’s Talk’ programmes, brings his expertise as head of history in a London boys school and a musician. His ‘Leadership’ programme is all about building confidence and a strong sense of self. By researching topics and presenting them to the group, our young people develop public speaking skills and learn to overcome obstacles with a smile.
Transitioning from primary to secondary school can be daunting, especially for our foster children. Paul’s KS2 to KS3 programme is designed to support both carers and children through this big change. We help make the shift smoother, ensuring our kids feel confident and ready for their new academic environment.
One of our most popular programmes is run by Emma, a professional chef from the company ‘Get the Kids in the Kitchen’. Her cookery workshops are a huge hit. These sessions teach cooking skills, food hygiene, and nutrition in a fun and engaging way. At Easter this year, we had a fantastic cookery event with our foster kids and foster carers in Eastbourne where we made delicious tacos followed by chocolate birds’ nests – it was a blast for everyone involved!
Our newest initiative, the ‘Banya Life Skills’ programme, is aimed at helping unaccompanied minors aged 15-18 who are approaching the end of their time in foster care. This comprehensive course pulls elements from our programmes to create modules that cover everything from cooking and CV writing to home economics and personal hygiene. We know that these young people face unique challenges, and we’re here to support them every step of the way.
Eventually, we aim to roll out this programme so that all Banya’s young people go through it before they leave care, even if they have been with their foster parents for a long time.
But it’s not all work and no play at Banya. We love organising fun trips and activities! Last summer, our London region took our kids, carers, and staff to sunny Southend for a day including a trip to Fantasy Island! And over the Bank Holiday weekend, we are having an open-top bus tour around London, which has been under huge demand. We’re always planning new adventures based on what our kids want to do. Our other regions, including Eastbourne, Yorkshire, the Midlands, and Hampshire, also enjoy their own unique trips.
We also celebrate the achievements of our young foster people with the Banya Breakthrough Awards which we run for all our regions. These annual awards ceremonies celebrate the accomplishments of our foster children and young people through a nomination process. There are seven main awards, but all participants receive certificates. The day is filled with food, dancers, performances, speakers, and music, making it a wonderful and worthwhile event. Despite the hard work involved in organising it, the experience brings everyone together and is truly amazing. We have just started planning our next awards, which will be held during the October half-term. Social workers, foster carers, kids, and staff all come together to sing, dance, and enjoy an unforgettable day. Keep an eye out for the dates of the 2024 events.
During Foster Care Fortnight this year, we are hosting open days at our headquarters in Herne Hill, London. These events focus on recruiting new carers and showcasing the amazing work we do. It’s a great opportunity to get to know us and see firsthand how we support our foster children.
At Banya, we’re more than just a foster agency – we’re a community. We’re here to nurture, support, and prepare our children for a bright future. Our events and programmes take place across all our regions, ensuring that every child in our care has access to these wonderful opportunities. If you’re considering becoming a foster carer, we’d love for you to join our family and help us continue making a difference in these young lives. Take a look at some of the qualities we might look for in potential foster carers.
