Fostering 400 Biker Tour Success!

20th May 2025

As part of our Foster Care Fortnight 2025 celebrations, a team of bikers (some of whom are our very own foster carers) travelled over 160 miles on tour to raise awareness of the need for at least 400 more fostering families to come forward and offer safe and nurturing foster homes across Northern Ireland.

These people know first-hand the value of foster care and the lasting positive impact it can make to children and young people’s lives. They are truly foster care champions!

The bikers stopped at a venue in each HSC Trust area to meet the public, fostering staff, fellow foster carers and supporters.

Thanks to our bikers who so generously gave up their time to promote HSC NI Foster Care, our fostering teams in each of the 5 locality areas who welcomed the bikers and were available to talk to anyone interested in fostering and to our fostering families and supporters in the community who came out to show their support for our campaign.

Gareth was the lead biker on our tour and is a HSC NI foster carer along with his wife, Natasha. He said: “Natasha and I enjoy fostering as we know the part we play providing short breaks allows other foster carers to continue the incredible work they do fostering for the longer term.

We hope that our contribution plays a part in the development of the children that come to stay. They perhaps get to experience a home with pets as we have a dog (Alfie) and a home aquarium, both good talking points and something to learn from.

Truth be told, we also enjoy the fun activities we plan for them like trips to the seaside, the cinema or simply a chilled out evening with a movie and some popcorn at home.”

Watch our video of a super day out!