Swindon Council and Nationwide team up to provide comfort bags to children in foster care

Nationwide Building Society are supporting Swindon Borough Council’s fostering team by providing Comfort U Bags (CUBs) to looked after children in the Borough as part of a new project.

Nationwide will be donating 130 bags to the Council’s fostering team over the next three months which will then be given to the children when they move into a new home. Many children often come into foster care at very short notice and don’t have time to bring anything from home.

The CUBs which Nationwide will donate contain a whole range of things to help a child feel more at home with their foster family including cuddly toys, book token, blanket, stationery, activity set and toiletries.

The Council continue to be in need of new foster carers to help look after children who require support across the Borough. If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a foster carer, please visit www.swindon.gov.uk/fostering.

Siân Briddon from Nationwide Building Society said: “As someone who has fostered myself, I was inspired to launch the CUBs as I’ve seen how difficult it is for a child coming into your home with just the clothes they are wearing.

"Giving the children something tangible, that is theirs to own is important in making them feel reassured and that they don’t have to ask for everything. The cuddly toy in particular can act as a companion as well as a confidante, and the book token gives the child the opportunity to bond with their carer and make a choice on a book just for them."

Cllr Fionuala Foley, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for fostering, added: “This is such an amazing project and is so important for those young people who will receive a Comfort U Bag. I would like to thank Nationwide for their support and generosity as this will make a huge difference to our looked after children.

“Moving to be with a foster family can be a tough time for a child so these bags will provide an added level of comfort to help the children feel at home with their new foster carers who do a fantastic job helping children in need across the Borough."