Shrewsbury based New Chapters Fostercare (NCF) has selected Telford Crisis Support (TCS) as its designated charity for which to raise funds in 2026.

The first fundraising event, a sponsored walk up The Wrekin, will take place in April and is an opportunity for foster carers and NCF staff to share a day out.

Established in 2010 and originally centred around a core foodbank service, TCS is an independent, volunteer-led, holistic support charity that supports local communities across the borough of Telford & Wrekin and the surrounding Shropshire border area. To tackle the growing issue of poverty it has needed to evolve and based on its experiences of operating a foodbank, feedback from users and collaborative working, an expanded TCS now offers a babybank, providing essentials such as moses baskets, baths and clothing for children up to years old, a  school uniform project and energy advice.

In 2025 TCS helped 17,650 people across all its projects, including the provision of food parcels for 15,793 adults and children, which equated to a total of 189,516 meals. It also received 285 requests to its baby bank, which is an increase of 11 per cent from 2024.

Erin Aston, senior operations manager at TCS said: “It’s great to collaborate with new partners, and particularly those who aim to raise our profile. Funding is tight or in some instances such as grant applications, restricted to specific elements of what TCS delivers. We had to make a couple of people redundant in 2025, so direct finances for core operational costs such as rent and fuel for the vans is crucial to our survival. We are incredibly grateful to Martin and the team at NCF for their support.”

Martin George, director at NCF, said: “There is a level of poverty in Shropshire and throughout the country that is bigger than people realise and that’s why charities like TCS are so important. Not only do we aim to provide foster carers for vulnerable children, but it is also important for us to foster links with the local community. It made sense, therefore, to select TCS as our designated charity for this year, as both organisations can only exist through community minded people coming forward and offering their expertise, time, services and money. The challenge of hiking up The Wrekin is a good first fundraiser for 2026.”

People wishing to sponsor The Wrekin hike can do so online via the NCF Just Giving page here: www.justgiving.com/page/new-chapters-fostercare-1.

For more information about NCF visit: www.newchaptersfostercare.co.uk.

Picture (left to right) Martin George, NCF and Erin Aston, TCS.