Tom's race with new foster carers

The release of ‘The Run’, the seventh fostering awareness film produced by award-winning producers ReelTwentyFive, has been announced and will premiere at the Everyman cinema in Birmingham on 9 October 2025.

What started as a small local project in the Midlands is now a major nationwide campaign involving over 90 local authority fostering services, project managed by CAN Digital. ‘The Run’ is set to be the most ambitious jointly funded fostering film project yet.

The film focuses on Tom, an 11-year-old boy, contrasting his need to run - away from danger, a chaotic home life, to get to school in time for breakfast club because he’s hungry - with running as a sport.

Despite the disadvantages Tom faces before being fostered - not even having PE kit for school - he’s good at running and the film climaxes with Tom taking part in an athletics tournament, running in a stadium, with the support of his new foster family.  

It’s Tom’s chance to shine. Can Tom win his race?  On the track and in his life?  

Natalie Bugeja, Stategic Head of Fostering and Kinship at Achieving for Children

"The message of this project is very simple, but so important - we need foster carers and we need people to foster for Achieving for Children.  

This sentiment applies across the country, which is why this project has grown into a national campaign. ‘The Run’ is a brilliant, emotional film none of us could have produced on our own, which is why this partnership is so important.

We have an engaging, high-quality film - which is great for all of us - but the message is loud and clear; there’s an urgent need for more foster carers to step forward across the country. Here in Kingston, Richmond and Windsor & Maidenhead, we need good people to join us at Achieving for Children to make a real difference."

That message is at the core of the film project. Local authority fostering services are under pressure like never before as more children need a safe, stable home. This is combined with increased competition from independent fostering agencies to recruit foster carers.

The film’s project director Rachel Brown explains;

“This whole project grew out of the constant struggle to recruit foster carers, when you have limited resources. By working as a group - which has grown from 12 to over 90 councils across the country - we’ve found a way to raise our voice and shout.

I say shout quite deliberately - because this is a national emergency.  Make no mistake, children’s futures depend on having homes to give them a supportive, nurturing upbringing.

‘The Run’ won’t change things on its own, but we hope that everyone who sees it, will at least pause for thought, hopefully stepping forward to help our most vulnerable children and young people.” 

One thing is for sure, there are children like Tom all over the country. If you want to make a difference, talk to us today.

‘The Run’ will be premiered at Birmingham’s Everyman cinema on Thursday 9 October ahead of being made simultaneously available to view online by all local authority fostering services taking part in the project.

Contact

AfC Fostering and Kinship
[email protected]
0300 131 2797

For media requests to cover the launch, or to request preview interviews with project directors Rachel Brown or John Cooper, contact Brian McKinstrie or John Cooper:

Brian McKinstrie
[email protected]
07825 906 561

John Cooper
[email protected]
07815 068 936

List of all local authority fostering services taking part in ‘The Run’ project

• Barnet
• Birmingham Children’s Trust
• Blackpool
• Bolton (as part of Foster For Greater Manchester)
• Bracknell Forest
• Bradford Children and Families Trust
• Brent
• Brighton & Hove
• Bristol
• Bromley
• Buckinghamshire
• Bury (as part of Foster For Greater Manchester)
• Calderdale
• Cambridgeshire
• Camden
• Cheshire East
• Cornwall
• Coventry
• Croydon
• Cumberland (as part of Cumbria Fostering)
• Derby City (as part of Foster For East Midlands)
• Derbyshire (as part of Foster For East Midlands)
• Doncaster
• Dorset
• Dudley
• East Riding
• East Sussex
• Essex
• Gateshead
• Gloucestershire
• Hammersmith & Fulham (as part of Fostering Shared Services)
• Hampshire
• Haringey
• Herefordshire
• Hounslow
• Hull
• Isle Of Wight
• Kensington & Chelsea (as part of Fostering Shared Services)
• Kent
• Kingston (as part of Achieving For Children)
• Lancashire
• Leeds
• Leicester City
• Lincolnshire
• Luton
• Manchester (as part of Foster For Greater Manchester)
• Medway
• Newcastle
• Norfolk
• North Lincolnshire
• North Yorkshire
• Northamptonshire Children’s Trust
• Northumberland
• Nottingham City (as part of Foster For East Midlands)
• Nottinghamshire (as part of Foster For East Midlands)
• Oldham (as part of Foster For Greater Manchester)
• Peterborough
• Plymouth
• Portsmouth
• Reading (Brighter Futures For Children)
• Richmond (as part of Achieving For Children)
• Rochdale (as part of Foster For Greater Manchester)
• Rotherham
• Rutland
• Salford (as part of Foster For Greater Manchester)
• Sandwell Children’s Trust
• Sefton
• Sheffield
• Shropshire
• Solihull
• South Gloucestershire
• Southampton
• Staffordshire
• Stockport (as part of Foster For Greater Manchester)
• Stoke
• Suffolk
• Surrey
• Sutton
• Swindon
• Tameside (as part of Foster For Greater Manchester)
• Telford & Wrekin
• Thurrock
• Trafford (as part of Foster For Greater Manchester)
• Walsall
• Warwickshire
• Westminster (as part of Fostering Shared Services)
• Westmorland & Furness (as part of Cumbria Fostering)
• West Sussex
• Wigan (as part of Foster For Greater Manchester)
• Wiltshire
• Windsor & Maidenhead (as part of Achieving For Children)
• Wokingham
• Wolverhampton
• Worcestershire
• York