Next week is National Care Leavers Week (28 October to 3 November) and as part of a range of events taking place to amplify the voices of our local care experienced young people, we will be displaying photographs taken by them, along with testimonials about their experiences.

National Care Leavers Week is led by national charity Become and the we have been working with a range of local partners to support the week. The theme for this year is ‘All of us, we are one’, chosen nationally by care experienced young people.

In addition to the photo competition, other events taking place for National Care Leavers Week include a Wellbeing Day, silent disco, quiz, tree planting and five aside football for care experienced young people, and areas of Torbay will also be lit up to mark the week.

Councillor Nick Bye, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services for Torbay Council said: “We wanted to make this year’s Care Leavers Week our biggest and best yet and there is lots happening across the Bay. It’s a really important opportunity to highlight our local Care Experienced young people and we want to celebrate them but also make sure everyone is aware of the support that is available to our Care Experienced young people, both from Torbay Council and from other local organisations.

“We'd also like to say a big congratulations to our Care Experienced team and other members of Children's Services who took part in the relay race to raise funds for activities for Care Leavers Week.”

The relay took place on 3 October of walking from Torbay Town Hall to Paignton Velopark - Cycling for one hour and then Swimming one mile in order to raise as much funds as possible for the weeks activities. The team raised an impressive £1,700 through their efforts to help make the week a great success.

How to vote for your favourite image

From scenery to pigeons, dogs, squirrels, motorbikes and everything in between, the Council has received a wide variety of submissions of images from care experienced young people in Torbay.

There are a number of ways to vote for the photo you like best, from displays at venues in Torbay to online.

These photos will be on display during Care Leavers Week, at Brixham Library on Monday 28 October from 9.30am to 5pm, Tuesday 29 October from 9.30am to 6pm, then at the Paignton Library and Community Hub on Wednesday 30 October from 9.30am to 1pm and Thursday 31 October from 9.30am to 5pm. Then on Friday 1 November from 12pm, all day Saturday, and Sunday 3 November until 12pm, the photos will be on display at the Ballroom at Torre Abbey.

You can also see all the images and vote via MS Forms here. 

Or you can also view all the images and testimonials and vote via the Torbay Care Experienced Facebook page or Torbay Council Facebook page.

If you prefer you can also email your favourite one to fostering@torbay.gov.uk - make sure you use the header Care Leavers Week and then put the number in the email of your favourite image (they are all individually numbered).

Wellbeing Day on 29 October

Don’t forget there is also a Wellbeing Day taking place at Torquay Assembly Hall, Torquay Town Hall, Castle Circus, Torquay, TQ1 3DR, on Tuesday 29 October from 10.30am to 2pm.

The event is mainly aimed at care experienced young people but is open to all and there will be a range of stallholders with information and support including ABL Health, Eat That Frog, South Devon College, Torbay Council’s Participation Team, Enabling service, Wellbeing team and Fostering service, Play Torbay, Guide Dogs, Taleblazers, Eddystone, Crealy, local NHS representatives, Shared Lives, Arts University Plymouth, South Devon University Centre, and National Outreach Programme.

There will be a Black History Month stand at the event run by Kierrah from our Care Experienced team showcasing interesting facts and a chance to test your knowledge of Black History.

Look out for more updates on our social media channels in the run up to, and during Care Leavers Week, and we’ll be using the hashtags #NCLW and #NCLWTorbay

We would like to say a big thank you to all our partner organisations who are supporting Care Leavers Week:

ABL Health

Eat That Frog

Guide Dogs

Torbay Council Participation team

Play Torbay

South Devon College

Taleblazers

Eddystone

Torbay Council Enabling service

NHS

Crealy

Torbay Council Wellbeing Team

Black History Month

Fostering Comfort Cases and Free Bags

Shared Lives

National Outreach Programme

South Devon University Centre

Arts University Plymouth

University of South Wales

What's Your Problem

British Triathlon

Young Devon

Torre Abbey

Brixham Library

Paignton Library

SWISCo

Rockfish

Torquay Tennis Club

Parkwood Leisure Centre

Andy's Man Club

Talkworks

It's In The Bag

Macmillan

Money and Pension Service

Westcountry Finance

Christmas hampers for care leavers and other vulnerable young people

Once again Child and Family Health Devon (CFHD) are raising funds for Christmas hampers for the 500 care experienced young people across Devon and Torbay.

There are a team of packers and people who deliver the hampers to the Young People/Adults both in Devon and those living outside of the local area.

Find out more and donate at this JustGiving link.