A national film raising the profile of fostering – shaped with care experienced young people from York - has been nominated for a Royal Television Society Award.
Created to highlight the positive impact that fostering has on the lives of children and young people, ‘The Run’ focuses on the difference a new foster family makes to a young boy’s life.
Young people from York’s Children in Care Council- Show Me I Matter - worked with the film team to shape the messages in it, helping to ensure it was authentic.
The film, premiered in October 2025 and is part of a major nationwide campaign involving over 90 local authority fostering services, project managed by CAN Digital.
Cllr Bob Webb, City of York Council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said:
I’m so pleased that this important film has been nominated for a TV award. My thanks go to the young people in our Children in Care Council, who helped to ensure that the experiences and feelings of Tom, the lead character, were authentic.
“The message of the film was very simple, but so important. Foster carers really do help to change young people’s lives for the better. In York we always need more foster carers to help care for local children and young people.
“I would urge anyone who’s thinking about fostering to get in touch. There are lots of different options available and our friendly, specialist team will help guide you through the application process and beyond.”
The film's director, Rachel Brown explained;
This whole project grew out of the constant struggle to recruit foster carers, when you have limited resources. By working as a group – which has grown from 12 to over 90 councils across the country – we’ve found a way to raise our voice and shout.
“I say shout quite deliberately - because this is a national emergency. Make no mistake, children’s futures depend on having homes to give them a supportive, nurturing upbringing.
“‘The Run’ won’t change things on its own, but we hope that everyone who sees it, will at least pause for thought, hopefully stepping forward to help our most vulnerable children and young people.”
To find out more about how you can make a life-changing difference for children and young people in York visit https://fostering.york.gov.uk/ or call 01904 555678
The winning entry will be announced at an awards ceremony on 2 December. A list of shortlisted entries is available at https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-midlands-awards-2026-nominees
You can watch ‘The Run’ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34WqKrbqeZI