Youngsters in Wilmslow are getting creative in the classroom to make tasty treats – and help boost a campaign to get more people to become foster carers.
Wilmslow Grange Primary School, along with 12 other schools across Cheshire East, are taking part in the Council's gingerbread men decorating competition, entitled 'Happiness is homemade'.
The fun challenge forms part of the authority's promotion of Foster Care Fortnight – which aims to recruit 40 new foster carer households. Currently there are 180 foster carer households in Cheshire East looking after more than 300 children.
Nearly 2,000 gingerbread men were donated to the schools by a local bakery to promote the scheme and the competition will be judged by Cheshire East Council's head of schools' catering Sharon Alldread and Councillor Hilda Gaddum, Cabinet member with responsibility for children and family services.
Cllr Gaddum, said: "This is a hands-on and fun competition with a serious and important message behind it.
"I hope this campaign persuades more people to consider taking on the hugely-rewarding role of a foster parent.
"Foster carers play a vitally-important role in helping the Council improve the life opportunities and health of young people in Cheshire East."
The Foster Care Fortnight recruitment and awareness drive, which runs until Friday May 27th, involves advertising bikes, a poster campaign, leaflets and the use of social media networks by the Council to spread the message across the Borough. Foster carers have also been heard on radio stations, asking more people to come forward and look into how they too can change a person's life for the better.
A similar Cheshire East campaign last year was hailed a success with the Council's fostering and adoption team receiving triple the number of enquiries it would expect in an average month following the high-profile campaign.
To find out more information about fostering go to www.spacesforfaces.co.uk or ring the Council on 0300 123 3223.
Photographs from Wilmslow Grange Primary School: Lucy (10), Jessica (8), and back row l-r) Owen (9), Issy (11) and Lucy (10). Middle row (l-r) Hannah (11), Jack (10) and Alina (9) Front (l-r) Jessica (8) and Rebecca (8).
