We dedicated a wildflower area in the Forbury Garden to Brighter Futures for Children’s (BFfC) foster carers in Reading, to celebrate the amazing work they do.
Reading Mayor Cllr Rachel Eden, Council Leader Jason Brock and BFfC Board Chair Di Smith led a gathering of senior councillors and managers to scatter the wildflower seeds in the Grade II listed gardens on Thursday 18 May, during Foster Care Fortnight.
Our foster carers then joined us for a get-together in the gardens to celebrate the dedication of the wildflower area and to share light refreshments and chat!
We worked with Reading Council’s Parks department to create a special area in the Forbury Gardens as a mark of appreciation for the vital work of foster carers. A plaque will also be installed in the wildflower area reading:
‘Dedicated, with pride, to our foster carers who help children in Reading bloom and grow’.
Massive thanks go to Roland Staines, Head Gardener at Forbury Gardens, who not only helped us prepare the garden for the seed planting but he also donated the wildflower seeds. Our lovely little plot will will remain under under his expert care, and the wildflowers will be replaced by sensory plants when they fade and the cycle will be repeated in future years.
The dedication to our foster carers complements the planting of an ornamental cherry tree in Town Hall Square in 2020, to signify the importance of our children in care feeling rooted in Reading, even if they have to move away from the town due to the shortage of local foster carers.
