Young people in care enjoy inspiring community day

Young people in foster placements from across the UK travelled to Northamptonshire this month for a day of outdoor activities and team building at Twywell Hills & Dales Country Park.

The visit, arranged by Nexus Fostering and managed by local charity Groundwork Northamptonshire, brought the young people – who are Nexus Fostering ‘Young Ambassadors’ – together to enjoy the outdoors and help with conservation projects. The day included hands-on activities such as building a bug hotel, meeting the park’s popular highland cows and cooking woodfired pizza.

Vanessa Higham, Head of Participation at Nexus Fostering, said: “Our Young Ambassadors only get together twice a year face to face as they are spread across the country, so it was lovely to see them working as part of a team, supporting and encouraging each other in the fresh air. What shone through was their sense of empowerment – one of our young people travelled four hours to get to this day and told us it was so worth it. They really took ownership and got stuck in. Even the rain couldn’t dampen our spirits. It’s been so heartwarming to witness the journey these young people are on. We’re so proud of everything they’ve achieved so far.”

Northamptonshire has seen a significant increase in the numbers of children in foster care – there were around 1,195 children in care and 925 care leavers as of August 2024.

Kimberley Lawson, Operations Director at Groundwork Northamptonshire, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Nexus Fostering Young Ambassadors to Twywell Hills & Dales. It’s inspiring to see young people who want to give back to their community, and we’re proud to provide a space where they can connect with nature, learn new skills, and work together as a team. Days like this remind us why community spaces like Twywell are so important.”

Nexus Fostering provides support and training to foster carers across Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Hertfordshire. With an urgent shortfall of 140 foster carers across Northamptonshire, the agency continues to seek dedicated individuals to provide secure, nurturing homes for vulnerable young people.

Twywell Hills & Dales Country Park is managed by Groundwork Northamptonshire and offers a range of conservation activities, educational programmes, and corporate volunteering opportunities. The charity runs a host of activities across the county and is particularly well known for its popular Green Patch community garden in Kettering.

The organisation runs team building days and corporate volunteering opportunities for businesses and groups from across the country, helping them connect with nature while supporting vital conservation work. Groundwork Northamptonshire welcomes enquiries from organisations looking for meaningful team experiences, as well as individuals interested in volunteering to support their environmental and community projects.

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