5th May 2026
🏍The Fostering 400 biker tour returns!🏍
After the success of last year’s tour, the bikers will be back on the roads for a whistlestop tour of Northern Ireland, as part of our Foster Care Fortnight celebrations.
Our team of bikers, many of whom are foster carers, will be championing HSC NI Foster Care and aiming to raise awareness of the urgent need for at least 400 additional foster carers to support children and young people who require foster care.
The tour will kick-off in Belfast at 8:30am on Saturday 16 May. Throughout the day, the bikers will visit five locations, one in each HSC Trust area, where they will meet members of the public, fostering staff, fellow foster carers, and local supporters.
Gareth Irvine, an HSC NI foster carer who is leading the biker tour, said: “I’m passionate about fostering and raising awareness of the need for more foster carers right across Northern Ireland. This tour is a great opportunity to meet people face‑to‑face, answer questions, and share honest experiences of what fostering really involves.
The simple, everyday things we do as foster carers can make a lasting difference to children’s lives. Helping them feel safe and secure allows them to grow in confidence, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see that progress. My wife, Natasha, and I do our best to give each child a positive experience of family life while they’re with us so they feel valued, supported, and cared for.”
Vanessa Nelis, Service Coordinator for HSC NI Foster Care, said: “We greatly value our foster carers and kinship foster carers, who go above and beyond to provide the safety, stability and care our children and young people need during a difficult time in their lives. During Foster Care Fortnight, we are proud to celebrate our rich fostering community and the skills, love and determination shown every day by our foster carers.”
A big thank you to Gareth and all our bikers for being fostering champions and helping us to encourage more people to kickstart their fostering journey.
Join us at one of our five locations on Saturday 16 May to find out more about fostering!
Biker Tour Schedule 2026:
| Area | Stop | Time |
| Belfast area | 2 Royal Avenue, Belfast, BT1 1DA | Bikers arrive: 8:30am | Leaving: 9:00am |
| South Eastern area | Island Civic Centre, Lisburn, BT27 4RL | Bikers arrive: 9:35am | Leaving 10:20am |
| Northern area | Ballymena Bandstand, Town Centre | Bikers arrive: 11:30am | Leaving 12:15pm |
| Western area | The Diamond, Enniskillen Town Centre | Bikers arrive: 2:45pm | Leaving 3:30pm |
| Southern area | Palace Stables, Armagh, BT60 4EL | Bikers arrive: 4:45pm |