P-P-P-P-Penguins at Belfast zoo help The Belfast Trust Fostering Service find new homes for local children.

The Belfast Trust Fostering Service is the newest corporate partner of Belfast Zoological Gardens, choosing to sponsor the Gentoo penguin enclosure as part of the corporate sponsorship scheme.

Fostering provides children who cannot live with their own families with alternative care where they can benefit from a loving, safe and stable home. Some of these children require care for a short time, others need nurturing homes until they reach independence. The slogan really hits home how important this cause is in our city, “The Belfast Trust need Belfast People to come forward and foster Belfast children.”

Belfast Zoo’s corporate partnership scheme entitles the company to showcase their brand and services to over 300,000 visitors a year and they also receive key benefits including behind the scenes tours.

Colette Quinn Senior Social Worker in The Belfast Trust Fostering Service is delighted with the corporate partnership, “It is really a great opportunity for the Belfast Trust Fostering Service to be involved in a corporate partnership scheme with the Belfast Zoo. The Belfast Trust Fostering Service provides high quality foster placements to looked after children by providing an extremely high level of service to foster carers. We feel the Zoo, in providing high quality care to many endangered species, is a great partner. We feel particularly privileged and believe it is very appropriate that we are sponsoring the penguin enclosure, little birds that are known for their commitment to caring for their young. We really hope that this partnership will assist us in continuing the excellent work we do in valuing foster carers by offering them wonderful opportunities to have amazing family days out.”

Mark Challis, zoo manager is also delighted with Belfast Zoo’s newest partner. “The corporate partnership programme at Belfast Zoo is a marvellous opportunity for two organisations to support each other in every aspect of business. The Belfast Trust Fostering Service is a wonderful addition to the zoo and I for one feel honoured to be helping in their quest to find honourable people to help foster children in Belfast.”

You can find out more about ‘The Belfast Trust Fostering Service’ by visiting their website, www.belfasttrust.hscni.net or for more information about Belfast Zoo’s corporate partnership scheme go to www.belfastzoo.co.uk/corporate/opportunities.