Surrey County Council is hoping to spark meaningful conversations about fostering through ‘The Run’, a powerful two-minute film portraying a young person’s journey through care.
The short film focuses on ‘Tom’, an 11 year old boy facing neglect, emotional stress, and vulnerability to exploitation. In the emotionally raw film, developed as part of a partnership project led by CAN Digital and involving more than 90 local authorities from across the country, we see that through the support of a foster family and social care system, Tom begins to experience stability, encouragement and belonging. Ultimately transforming his path from running away to running toward opportunity.
Reflecting on the film Cllr Jonathan Hulley, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning said: “‘The Run’ is an emotive story about transformation, opportunity, and the power of showing up – something our foster care community delivers every day for children in care.
“There are currently around 330 approved fostering households in Surrey providing safe, nurturing homes for children and young people who need them. However, with 933 looked after children in Surrey we need more, and our ambition is to increase our fostering community by 15 foster carers per year. Through growing the number of fostering households in Surrey we will be able to provide more children with homes in-county, enabling them to stay close to their family and friends and avoiding disruption to their education.”
The film will be screened in community venues across Surrey as part of a programme of local, in-person information sessions, with the first at The Light Cinema, Redhill on Thursday 16 October at 2pm.
Cllr Hulley continues; “We know not everyone is ready to foster, and that’s OK. Our hope is that ‘The Run’ – as well as our community information events – will sparking meaningful conversations about fostering, not just as a route to becoming a foster carer, but as a way for individuals, businesses, and communities to support children in care.
“I’d encourage residents to come to one of our relaxed, local events for a chance to learn more about the difference fostering can make – not just for the child themselves but for the fostering family and the whole community – without pressure or expectation.”
Whether someone is ready to explore fostering, interested in becoming a fostering-friendly employer, or simply wanting to learn more about fostering and better understand how they can support children in care – such as through initiatives like Independent Visiting – they are encouraged to attend one of the upcoming events. Support for children in care can come in many forms and these events offer opportunities for those with questions or curiosity about fostering to meet members of the Surrey Fostering team and connect with exiting foster carers.
Fostering has the power to change lives – those living in Surrey are urged to take that first step and be part of the change.
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Notes to editors
- For information about fostering in Surrey contact the Surrey Fostering Service on 0300 131 2797, via email at fostering.recruitment@surreycc.gov.uk, or visit Fostering – Surrey County Council. Or find the service on social media via @surreyfostering
- Details of Surrey Fostering Service in-person community events and online information sessions can be found on the events page of the Surrey Fostering website: Find us at a fostering information event – Surrey County Council
- Fostering is a community-wide effort: individuals can find out how they can support children in care and the foster families who look after them: Helping Hands – Surrey County Council
- ‘The Run’ is available to view in full on the Surrey County Council YouTube channel: The Run | A Fostering Story of Hope, Trust and Belonging
- ‘The Run’ has been produced by the ReelTwentyFive film production company and project managed by public sector media partner CAN Digital and Rachel Brown.
- There were 933 Looked After Children in Surrey as of 31 March 2025
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